[Idiopathic chylothorax: usefulness of aetiologic survey and the follow-up]. / Chylothorax spontané idiopathique: intérêt de l'enquête étiologique et du suivi.

Chylothorax is an uncommon condition. It's characterized by the presence of chyle in the pleura. The most common causes are malignancy and trauma. When an underlying cause is excluded, the chylothorax is called idiopathic. We report a case of a 68 aged woman, admitted for abundant chylothorax. Thoraco-abdominal computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging of the chest and thoracotomy showed no lesion of the lymphatic duct. Fibrothorax has developed after pleurodesis. Stable clinical and radiological condition was noticed during 3 years. We discuss the difficulty in the exclusion of a malignancy and the necessity of the follow up for these patients.