Chylothorax and Respiratory Failure Following Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery in a Patient with Pre-Eclampsia
Idiopathic postpartum chylothorax is an uncommon finding, with only four cases described in the literature. We present the case of a 37-year-old female who was diagnosed with chylothorax three days after the delivery of her baby. Chylothorax was managed with chest tube placement, a low-fat diet, and octreotide. As opposed to the current literature, her chylothorax resolved with medical management and chest tube insertion without further surgical intervention. The chest tube was removed 11 days after chest tube placement, and she was discharged in stable condition. We also review the most recent literature on postpartum chylothorax.
