Pleural omentalisation with en bloc ligation of the thoracic duct and pericardiectomy for idiopathic chylothorax in nine dogs and four cats.

Conventional treatment of idiopathic chylothorax (IC) involves thoracic duct (TD) ligation (with/without lymphagiography) combined with subphrenic pericardiectomy. Nine dogs and four cats with IC, which received intrathoracic omentalisation with TD en bloc ligation (not preceded by lymphangiography) and subphrenic pericardiectomy, were evaluated retrospectively. Seven of nine dogs and 3/4 cats were still alive and disease-free at the time of reporting (range 10-53 and 19-31 months, respectively).