Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat's chylothorax after vein surgery cleared up on its own
By Greenberg, Marc J & Weisse, Chick W·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2005·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Spontaneous resolution of iatrogenic chylothorax in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A cat developed breathing problems after surgery to remove part of its trachea, which accidentally damaged a vein, leading to a condition called chylothorax (fluid buildup in the chest). The cat was treated with medication, and after about nine weeks, the fluid resolved on its own. Fortunately, the cat recovered well without needing further surgical intervention.
People also search for: cat breathing problems after surgery · chylothorax in cats treatment · cat fluid in chest recovery
Abstract
Chylothorax is an uncommon condition of dogs and cats defined by the accumulation of chylous effusion within the pleural space. Chylothorax has been experimentally created in dogs and cats by ligation of the cranial vena cava and has been reported to occur spontaneously in dogs with naturally occurring obstruction of the cranial vena cava. In the cat of this report, iatrogenic chylothorax was caused by surgical ligation and transection of the left brachiocephalic vein during a tracheal resection and anastomosis procedure. The chylous effusion resolved with medical management 9 weeks after surgery.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15906565/