Somatostatin: a new therapeutic option for the treatment of chylothorax

Background: The standard treatment of chylothorax in pediatric intensive care today includes conservative therapy with fat-free nutrition, total parenteral nutrition and, if this is not successful, operative treatment (pleurodesis, ligation of the duct, pleuroperitoneal shunt). Patients: We describe four patients who were not in a suitable condition for operative treatment and who were treated with continuous infusion of somatostatin. Results: In three patients, chylothorax ceased with the continuous somatostatin infusion without side effects. One patient was treated without success. Conclusions: Somatostatin is a therapeutic option for treatment of chylothorax and could reduce surgical intervention and hospitalization time, as well as allow earlier enteral feeding.