Introduction:

Postoperative chylous fistula due to iatrogenic thoracic duct injury is an infrequent and serious complication of head and neck surgery.

Objective:

To describe the treatment options of postoperative cervical chylous fistula.

Clinical case:

It was presented an 18-year-old patient with diagnosis of cystic lymphangioma of the left lateral region of the neck, which was removed in the General Surgery Service of the National Hospital Mnazi Mmoja of Zanzibar, Tanzania. During the postoperative evolution, a low-output chylous fistula was found and resolved by medical treatment. The patient withdrew cured at 28 days after the surgical intervention.

Conclusion:

Conservative treatment is effective in the majority of low-out put cervical chylous fistulas, while in high-debit, surgery offers a rapid resolution, although there is no consensus about the ideal time to perform it.

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