Use of Fludarabine for the Treatment of Indolent Lymphoma with Chylothorax

Although chylothorax is rare in patients with malignant lymphoma, it has been reported in cases with mediastinal lymphadenopathy, a bulky retroperitoneal mass, or thoracic ducts blocked by lymphocytes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The clinical picture is not specific. Patients become more immunocompromised and malnourished after repeated evacuations. Chylothorax is usually diagnosed when the triglyceride level is > 1.24 mmol/l and the cholesterol level is < 5.18 mmol/ l in the effusion. Chemotherapy or radiotherapy of the associated malignant tumors has been used as the first-line treatment of malignant chylothorax. The responses of chylothorax after 3-8 chemotherapy courses have been described. A few cases of indolent lymphoma associated with chylothorax that were treated with fludarabine-based chemotherapies with various outcomes have been published. Total parenteral nutrition or a low-fat diet combined with ingestion of medium-chain triglycerides can accelerate remission of chylothorax.