Beatrice Leonardi, Giovanni Natale, Caterina Sagnelli, Antonio Marella, Francesco Leone, Francesca Capasso, Noemi Maria Giorgiano, Davide Gerardo Pica, Rosa Mirra, Vincenzo Di Filippo, Gaetana Messina, Giovanni Vicidomini, Giovanni Motta, Eva Aurora Massimilla, Gaetano Motta, Erino Angelo Rendina, Valentina Peritone, Claudio Andreetti, Alfonso Fiorelli, Antonello Sica
Background: Descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) is a life-threatening condition, generally caused by downward dissemination of oropharyngeal infections through cervical fascial planes. Mediastinal drainage is conventionally achieved by thoracotomy, but a Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) approach is gaining interest due to the reduced invasiveness of procedure. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of VATS treatment in patients with DNM. Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicenter study including patients with descending mediastinitis that underwent mediastinal drainage through VATS (VATS group) or thoracotomy (thoracotomy group), both in association with cervical drainage...
April 22, 2024: Journal of Clinical Medicine