Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with chylothorax and pleuritis treated with surgery
By Lafond, Elizabeth et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2002·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Omentalization of the thorax for treatment of idiopathic chylothorax with constrictive pleuritis in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old spayed female Himalayan cat was brought in for severe breathing problems due to idiopathic chylothorax, a condition where lymph fluid accumulates in the chest. After medical treatments failed, the veterinarian performed surgery to advance a piece of the omentum (a fold of tissue) into the thorax to help manage the fluid buildup. The surgery was successful, and the cat has been doing well and is clinically normal 13 months later. This surgical approach may be a good option for cats with similar issues that don't respond to other treatments.
People also search for: cat breathing problems · chylothorax treatment in cats · Himalayan cat surgery recovery
Abstract
A 6-year-old, spayed female Himalayan cat with idiopathic chylothorax, which failed to respond to medical management, was successfully treated by advancement of the omentum into the thorax. Exploratory thoracotomy revealed severe, constrictive pleuritis as a sequela to chylothorax. Because of the poor prognosis for recovery from chylothorax in cats with thoracic duct ligation alone, and the lack of success in performing thoracic duct ligation in this cat, the omentum was advanced into the thorax through a hole created in the diaphragm and sutured within the thoracic cavity. The cat recovered from surgery and is clinically normal 13 months postoperatively. Omental advancement may be an effective surgical management technique for this challenging disease in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11804320/