What Is Chyluria? Chyluria is when there is chyle in the pee. Chyle is a milky fluid made in the bowels (intestines) during digestion. Depending the cause, doctors can treat chyluria (kye-LURE-ee-uh) and often cure it. What Happens in Chyluria? Chyle (KYE-ul) is made of lymph and tiny fat droplets. Lymph (LIMF) is a fluid that carries fats and proteins, helps fight germs, and keeps the body's fluid levels normal. Lymph vessels take chyle to the bloodstream. From there, the blood carries lymph and fats where they are needed. When the lymphatic system is damaged or doesn't work as it should, this normal flow can't happen. The chyle can't get into the blood, and instead leaks into other places. In chyluria, it leaks into the kidneys or another part of the urinary tract, and then into pee (urine). What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Chyluria? Chyluria makes a child's pee look cloudy or milky. It also can cause: the need to pee a lot pain when peeing blood in the pee (hematuria) pain in the lower back on one side weight loss growth and weight problems tiredness What Causes Chyluria? Chyluria happens when there is a problem with the lymphatic system. This may happen in children with: cancer or other tumor in the belly swelling or an unusual growth in the lymphatic system (lymphangitis, lymphangioma) a problem that was treated with surgery, such as: partial or complete removal of a kidney kidney transplant surgery for kidney cancer or another cancer in the belly Children who live in or have traveled to Africa, Asia, or South America can get chyluria from a parasite. A parasite is a tiny animal such as a tapeworm that lives in or on humans. How Is Chyluria Diagnosed? To diagnose chyluria, doctors ask questions about symptoms, do an exam, and test the child's pee and blood. They also order tests check to find out how the chyle is getting into the urinary system, such as: an ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, lymphangiogram, or other imaging study minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopy) to look inside the belly How Is Chyluria Treated? Treatment for chyluria depends on what's causing it. It may include: helping the body make less chyle with medicine, a low-fat diet, or IV nutrition (total parenteral nutrition, or TPN) treatment by an interventional radiologist to fix the lymph vessel How Can Parents Help? If your child has chyluria, be sure to: Take your child to all doctor's visits. Make sure your child takes any prescribed medicines. Help your child with any prescribed diet changes. Back to Articles Related Articles What Is Interventional Radiology (IR)? Interventional radiology (IR) is a way for doctors to treat problems like vascular anomalies and tumors. Read More Lymphatic Malformations A lymphatic malformation is a clump of lymph vessels that form a growing spongy cluster. They're unusual growths, but are not cancerous. Read More Embolization Embolization is a procedure in which plugging material or a plugging object is put into a blood vessel to block it. It's used to help treat many conditions. Read More The Lymphatic System The lymphatic system is an extensive drainage network that helps keep body fluid levels in balance and defends the body against infections. Read More Kidneys and Urinary Tract The bean-shaped kidneys, each about the size of a child's fist, are essential to our health. Their most important role is to filter blood and produce urine. Read More When Your Child Needs a Kidney Transplant If your child needs a kidney transplant, you're probably feeling lots of emotions. Fortunately, many kids who undergo kidney transplants go on to live normal, healthy lives. Read More Sclerotherapy Sclerotherapy is a procedure in which medicine is injected into blood vessels or lymph vessels to make them close. It's used to treat vascular malformations. Read More Chylous Ascites Chylous ascites is when chyle collects in the belly. Depending on what's causing it, doctors can treat chylous ascites and often cure it. Read More Chylothorax A chlylothorax happens when chyle (lymphatic fluid) collects in the space around a lung. Read More Noonan Syndrome Noonan syndrome is a condition that some babies are born with. It causes changes in the face and chest, and usually includes heart problems. Read More Turner Syndrome Girls with Turner syndrome, a genetic condition, usually are shorter than average and infertile due to early loss of ovarian function. Early diagnosis and treatments can help most of them. Read More Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995-2021 KidsHealth®. All rights reserved. Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.