Ruptured lymphocele leading to lymphorrhea and wound dehiscence: A treatment approach with drainage and lymphangiography

A lymphocele is a collection of lymphatic fluid without epithelial lining, commonly occurring as a postsurgical complication. Most lymphoceles do not require treatment, but symptomatic lymphoceles can be successfully treated with surgery, percutaneous drainage and sclerotherapy, or lymphangiography...

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Main Authors: Curtis Plante, BS, Nariman Nezami, MD, Jaime Pineda, MD, Christopher S. Morris, MD, Anant D. Bhave, MD, Bill S. Majdalany, MD
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Radiology Case Reports
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043325002912
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author Curtis Plante, BS
Nariman Nezami, MD
Jaime Pineda, MD
Christopher S. Morris, MD
Anant D. Bhave, MD
Bill S. Majdalany, MD
author_facet Curtis Plante, BS
Nariman Nezami, MD
Jaime Pineda, MD
Christopher S. Morris, MD
Anant D. Bhave, MD
Bill S. Majdalany, MD
author_sort Curtis Plante, BS
collection DOAJ
description A lymphocele is a collection of lymphatic fluid without epithelial lining, commonly occurring as a postsurgical complication. Most lymphoceles do not require treatment, but symptomatic lymphoceles can be successfully treated with surgery, percutaneous drainage and sclerotherapy, or lymphangiography with lymphatic embolization. Although drainage and sclerotherapy are effective in treating lymphoceles, their efficacy decreases in the setting of larger volume, ruptured, or multiseptated lymphoceles. Lymphangiography allows direct visualization of lymphatic vessels and identifies lymphatic leaks and guiding targeted interventions. Moreover, lymphangiography itself has therapeutic potential to directly treat lymphatic leakages. This case report describes a ruptured postkidney-transplant lymphocele, which dehisced the incision resulting in recalcitrant lymphorrhea. After drainage failed to resolve the lymphocele and sclerotherapy was deemed potentially risky to the kidney transplant, repeated lymphangiography sessions successfully treated the lymphocele and facilitated incisional healing.
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series Radiology Case Reports
spelling doaj-art-35a8dcf7f09c48d28798f35ec598e8052025-08-20T01:50:01ZengElsevierRadiology Case Reports1930-04332025-07-012073304330810.1016/j.radcr.2025.03.080Ruptured lymphocele leading to lymphorrhea and wound dehiscence: A treatment approach with drainage and lymphangiographyCurtis Plante, BS0Nariman Nezami, MD1Jaime Pineda, MD2Christopher S. Morris, MD3Anant D. Bhave, MD4Bill S. Majdalany, MD5Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, University of Vermont Medical Center, 111 Colchester Ave., Burlington, VT 05401, USADivision of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, Medstar Washington Hospital Center, 3800 Reservoir Road Northwest CCC Bldg Ground Fl, Washington, DC 20007, USADivision of Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Vermont Medical Center, 111 Colchester Ave., Burlington, VT 05401, USADivision of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, University of Vermont Medical Center, 111 Colchester Ave., Burlington, VT 05401, USADivision of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, University of Vermont Medical Center, 111 Colchester Ave., Burlington, VT 05401, USADivision of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, University of Vermont Medical Center, 111 Colchester Ave., Burlington, VT 05401, USA; Corresponding author.A lymphocele is a collection of lymphatic fluid without epithelial lining, commonly occurring as a postsurgical complication. Most lymphoceles do not require treatment, but symptomatic lymphoceles can be successfully treated with surgery, percutaneous drainage and sclerotherapy, or lymphangiography with lymphatic embolization. Although drainage and sclerotherapy are effective in treating lymphoceles, their efficacy decreases in the setting of larger volume, ruptured, or multiseptated lymphoceles. Lymphangiography allows direct visualization of lymphatic vessels and identifies lymphatic leaks and guiding targeted interventions. Moreover, lymphangiography itself has therapeutic potential to directly treat lymphatic leakages. This case report describes a ruptured postkidney-transplant lymphocele, which dehisced the incision resulting in recalcitrant lymphorrhea. After drainage failed to resolve the lymphocele and sclerotherapy was deemed potentially risky to the kidney transplant, repeated lymphangiography sessions successfully treated the lymphocele and facilitated incisional healing.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043325002912LymphoceleLymphangiographyLymphaticLymphorrheaPostsurgical
spellingShingle Curtis Plante, BS
Nariman Nezami, MD
Jaime Pineda, MD
Christopher S. Morris, MD
Anant D. Bhave, MD
Bill S. Majdalany, MD
Ruptured lymphocele leading to lymphorrhea and wound dehiscence: A treatment approach with drainage and lymphangiography
Radiology Case Reports
Lymphocele
Lymphangiography
Lymphatic
Lymphorrhea
Postsurgical
title Ruptured lymphocele leading to lymphorrhea and wound dehiscence: A treatment approach with drainage and lymphangiography
title_full Ruptured lymphocele leading to lymphorrhea and wound dehiscence: A treatment approach with drainage and lymphangiography
title_fullStr Ruptured lymphocele leading to lymphorrhea and wound dehiscence: A treatment approach with drainage and lymphangiography
title_full_unstemmed Ruptured lymphocele leading to lymphorrhea and wound dehiscence: A treatment approach with drainage and lymphangiography
title_short Ruptured lymphocele leading to lymphorrhea and wound dehiscence: A treatment approach with drainage and lymphangiography
title_sort ruptured lymphocele leading to lymphorrhea and wound dehiscence a treatment approach with drainage and lymphangiography
topic Lymphocele
Lymphangiography
Lymphatic
Lymphorrhea
Postsurgical
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043325002912
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