The Journal of the Japanese Respiratory Society ONLINE JOURNAL
ABSTRACT
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Article in Japanese
Case Report
Bilateral Chylothorax as Initial Manifestation of Gasrtic Cancer
Masashi Yamada, Shinzoh Kudoh, Kazuto Hirata and Junichi Yoshikawa
First Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, Osaka545-8585, Japan
ABSTRACT
We describe a case in which bilateral chylothorax was the initial presenting manifestation of a gastric cancer (scirrhous type). A 58-year-old woman was admitted because of acute right subclavian vein thrombosis. Following admission, she complained of dyspnea on effort and on the 14th hospital day chest X-ray examination revealed bilateral pleural effusion. Biochemical tests of the pleural fluid detected chyle, and cytological examinations revealed mucinous adenocarcinoma bilaterally. An upper gastrointestinal examination revealed gastric cancer (scirrhous type). Carcinoma of the stomach has very rarely been described as the cause of chylothorax, but our findings indicate the need to rule out a gastric neoplasm in patients with chylothorax of no clear cause.
KEYWORDS: Chylothorax, Gastric cancer
RECEIVED: 2000.6.16
JJRS, 39(5): 343-346, 2001
