Diagnosis and management of chylothorax.

Chylothorax is the presence of lymphatic fluid in the pleural space resulting from a leak of the thoracic duct or one of its major divisions. This condition is being recognized more frequently after both cardiac and general thoracic surgical procedures. Increased understanding of the physiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of chylothorax has significantly decreased the initial mortality in the majority of medical centers.