[Chylothorax resulting from malignant non Hodgkin's lymphoma]

Abstract

We report a case of chylothorax with malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A 51-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a chief complaint of dyspnea on March 18, 1995. An x-ray film of the chest revealed a large right pleural effusion. Biochemical tests of the pleural fluid revealed chyle. CT scans of abdomen and chest showed retroperitoneal and mediastinal tumors. Examination of biopsy specimens of the retroperitoneal tumor showed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (diffuse small cell type, B cell). Treatment with chemotherapy (CHOP, ProMACE-CytaBOM) resulted in complete remission. The chylothorax disappeared after chemotherapy. Only 21 cases of malignant lymphoma with chylothorax have been reported in Japan to date, but their numbers are gradually increasing. We must consider malignant lymphoma in patients with chylothorax.