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Infantile chylous ascites: a case report


N.T. Abdulraheem
A.A. Nasir
O.O. Oyesanya
L.O. Abdur-Rahman
D.C. Nwosu
T.T. Ibiyeye
M.O. Olanrewaju
J.O. Adeniran

Abstract

Chylous ascites (CA) is the accumulation of chyle in the abdominal cavity, and it is said to be congenital if it occurs in infants younger than 3 months.1 CA was first described by Morton in 1694 in a 2 year old boy with Tuberculosis.1-2 It is a rare clinical entity seen in 1 in 20,000 hospital admissions,1-3 however, incidence is said to be on the increase because of more aggressive thoracic  and retroperitoneal surgeries, as well as prolonged survival of cancer patients2. Congenital Chylous Ascites (CCA) is even rarer.1 We report a case of chylous ascites in an infant (first of its kind in our centre) who was successfully managed with initial laparatomy and subsequent conservative management.

Keywords: Chyle, ascites, thoracic duct injury, rupture thoracic duct, spontaneous resorption


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eISSN: 1115-0939
print ISSN: 2276-6839