Chylothorax: treatment using talc pleurodesis

Chylothorax is a rare complication of lymphoma with a poor prognosis. The treatment is not well established. We report a case of lymphoma complicated by bilateral chylothorax in which, despite optimal chemotherapy and radiotherapy, pleural effusion persisted. Pleuroscopy was performed under local anesthesia, followed by pleural instillation of pure talc. The immediate result was satisfactory and six months later there was no recurrence of chylothorax. Talc pleurodesis appears to be a simple and safe way of treating chylothorax resistant to conventional therapy.