Chylothorax is the leakage of lymph

Chylothorax is usually a result of surgical trauma

There is traumatic and nontraumatic chylothorax

Traumatic chylothorax is 2/3 unilateral

Nontraumatic chylothorax is 1/3 bilateral, and is associated with Superior Vena Cava thrombosis
- Aspiration of milky (chylous) fluid from thoracic cavity (may be reintroduced into body by way of nasogastric tube or well-monitored intravenous infusion).
- Treatment for chylothorax is that the thoracic duct ligated after identification of rupture site by escape of intraabdominally injected dye.