Somatostatin treatment of massive lymphorrhea following excision of a lymphatic malformation

Postoperative lymphorrhea is a serious and occasionally Lethal complication of neck dissection and cardiothoracic surgery. Management is not standardized, but usually centers around diet modification, drainage, pressure dressings, and reoperation. We report the successful use of the long acting somatostatin analogue octreotide in the management of massive lymphorrhea complicating excision of a large cervicomediastinal lymphatic malformation in an infant. Based on this report and a review of the available literature, we advocate the early consideration of somatostatin and its analogues in the control of lymphorrhea. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.