Mediastinoscopy

Mediastinal tumors are the most common thoracic tumor in the pediatric population. They include a spectrum of tumors, and most are malignant. These lesions can be anatomically and radiologically classified by means of compartments; anterior, middle, and posterior. Symptoms, signs, localization of the tumor, age of the child, and tumor markers are key points of diagnosis. Surgical approaches are typically needed for diagnosis, but sometimes tru-cut needle biopsies may be sufficient. Mediastinoscopy, mediastinotomy, and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery may be used in the diagnostic workup of mediastinal tumors in children as they are used in adults...

An uncommon illness known as fibrosing mediastinitis causes the mediastinum to grow excessively thick fibrous tissue. Fungal or idiopathic origins are the most common etiologies of pathology. In an individual suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), fibrosing mediastinitis, which resembled a bronchogenic cancer, was identified during anatomopathological examination following mediastinoscopy.

The aim of this study is to describe the anaesthesia management of two patients undergoing carinal resection under veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO). In both cases, anaesthesia was induced and then maintained with inhalational agents during pneumonectomy and mediastinoscopy (respectively). Then the jugular and femoral veins were cannulated and VV ECMO was started after heparinization. One of the patients presented bleeding during surgery, which was treated with low-dose vasopressors (norepinephrine) and transfusion of platelets, fresh frozen plasma, and concentrated red blood cells...

BACKGROUND: Combined endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) and endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition (EUS-TA) are accurate procedures for the diagnosis and staging of mediastinal lymph nodes (MLNs) in lung cancer. However, the respective contribution of separate and combined procedures in diagnosis and staging has not been fully studied. The aim of this study was to assess their respective performances. METHODS: Patients with suspected malignant MLNs in lung cancer or recurrence identified by PET-CT who underwent combined EBUS-TBNA and EUS-TA were retrospectively reviewed...

Sarcoidosis and the overlap syndrome of autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) share common clinical, biological, and histological features. The simultaneous occurrence of these diseases have been reported in few cases and suggests that a common pathway which may contribute to granuloma formation in both conditions. We report the cases of two female patients having an association of sarcoidosis and inflammatory liver diseases. The first case is of a 61-year-old woman had been monitored for an overlap syndrome of PBC and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH)...

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients presents challenges that may lead to treatment delay. These include atypical clinical presentations, increased likelihood of negative tuberculin skin test or/and interferon-gamma release assays, and negative sputum smear results despite active disease. The treatment poses challenges due to pharmacokinetic interactions, allograft-related toxicity, and inadequate immune response. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 70-year-old man after kidney transplantation in 2012...

BACKGROUND: Mediastinoscopic surgery for esophageal cancer facilitates early postoperative recovery. However, it can occasionally cause serious complications. Here, we present the case of a patient with a tracheal injury diagnosed by a sudden increase in end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2 ) during mediastinoscopic subtotal esophagectomy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 52-year-old man diagnosed with esophageal cancer was scheduled to undergo mediastinoscopic subtotal esophagectomy...

BACKGROUND: Transhiatal esophagectomy (THE) avoids thoracotomy but sacrifices mediastinal lymphadenectomy. Mediastinoscopy-assisted transhiatal esophagectomy (MATHE) allows for visualisation and en-bloc dissection of mediastinal lymph nodes while retaining the benefits of THE. However, given its novel inception, there is a paucity of literature. This study aimed to conduct the first meta-analysis to explore the efficacy of MATHE and clarify its role in the future of esophagectomy. METHODS: Four databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane Library) were searched from inception to May 1, 2023...

BACKGROUND: Differential diagnosis of mediastinal lymphadenopathy is an issue of debate. Lymph nodes may be enlarged due to a variety of inflammatory, infectious, or malignant reasons. Therefore, obtaining samples from the affected nodes is crucial for the diagnosis. Usually, these patients are subjected to TBNA (EBUS or conventional) or mediastinoscopy if TBNA is not conclusive. This study evaluated the safety and feasibility of this new technique of transbronchial forceps biopsy for the diagnosis of mediastinal lymphadenopathy...

Lofgren syndrome is a clinically distinct phenotype of sarcoidosis. It is characterized by the triad of bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, arthritis (usually the ankles), and fever. We present the case of a 31-year-old male patient who presented with fever and edema in both lower limbs, with palpation of subcutaneous nodules. A chest contrast-enhanced computerized axial tomography (CECT) scan revealed perihilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. In making the diagnosis, tuberculosis and lymphoma were both ruled out...

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most prevalent form of leukemia in adults, with rising global incidence rates. AML usually presents with non-specific clinical features such as pallor, fever, and bleeding. This case report discusses a unique presentation of AML, where a 25-year-old female with a history of hypertension presented with unilateral facial swelling, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Radiologic investigations revealed a mediastinal mass encasing the superior vena cava (SVC), confirming the suspicion of SVC syndrome...

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has emerged as a revolutionary diagnostic tool for lung diseases, including lung cancer, sarcoidosis, and lymphoproliferative diseases. This minimally invasive procedure offers a superior diagnostic yield while ensuring maximum patient safety when compared to traditional invasive techniques such as mediastinoscopy and thoracoscopy. By enabling real-time imaging and sampling of mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes and masses directly from the bronchoscope, EBUS-TBNA has redefined the precision of diagnostic bronchoscopy...

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disorder of unknown etiology, manifesting with bilateral hilar adenopathy, pulmonary reticular opacities, skin, joint or eye lesions. Heerfordt-Waldenström Syndrome - a constellation of facial palsy, fever, uveitis and parotitis - is a rare presentation of this disorder. A 47-year-old Chinese woman presented with unintentional weight loss, lethargy with mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy. Biopsy of the right paratracheal lymph node via mediastinoscopy showed mycobacterial granulomatous lymphadenitis consistent with tuberculosis with several acid-fast bacilli identified...

Background and Objectives : Treatment of advanced lung cancer (LC) has become increasingly personalized over the past decade due to an improved understanding of tumor molecular biology and antitumor immunity. The main task of a pulmonologist oncologist is to establish a tumor diagnosis and, ideally, to confirm the stage of the disease with the least invasive technique possible. Materials and Methods : The paper will summarize published reviews and original papers, as well as published clinical studies and case reports, which studied the role and compared the methods of invasive pulmonology diagnostics to obtain adequate tumor tissue samples for molecular analysis, thereby determining the most effective molecular treatments...

Surgery is a crucial treatment option for patients with resectable esophageal cancer. The emergence of minimally invasive esophageal techniques has led to the popularity of video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy, which has proven to be more advantageous than traditional thoracotomy. However, some patients with esophageal cancer may not benefit from this procedure. Individualized treatment plans may be necessary for patients with varying conditions and tolerances to anesthesia, making conventional surgical methods unsuitable...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and clinical usefulness of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for mediastinal staging of centrally located T1N0M0 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) clinically staged with positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). METHODS: We conducted a study that included patients with centrally located T1N0M0 NSCLC, clinically staged with PET/CT who underwent EBUS-TBNA for mediastinal staging...

We present the case of a healthy young woman who consulted for left peripheral facial palsy associated with fever, dry cough, dyspnea, and asthenia of two weeks' evolution. Physical examination revealed hypoesthesia in left T6 to T12 dermatomes and bilateral galactorrhea. In the laboratory, she presented negative viral serology, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, antinuclear antibody titers, prolactin and thyroid-stimulating hormone, with positive antiperoxidase antibodies. Computed tomography showed multiple bilateral cervical, mediastinal, and hilar adenopathies, without involvement of lung parenchyma...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Translaryngeal ultrasonography (TLUSG) for diagnosis of vocal cord palsy, a relatively new, safe and noninvasive bedside technique with minimal risk of respiratory infection transmission, has been effective in patients with thyroid disease. We studied its use as an alternative method to visual inspection by flexible laryngoscopy (FL) for vocal cord assessment in patients undergoing thoracic surgeries. METHODS: After Institutional Ethics Committee approval and trial registration, in this single-arm, prospective study, the vocal cord function of 110 patients who underwent either total oesophagectomy or mediastinoscopy was assessed immediately after extubation by both FL and TLUSG...

The azygos vein can be formed as a single root, two roots, and three roots, namely lateral, intermediate and the medial roots respectively. The hemiazygos vein and the accessory hemiazygos vein are the tributaries of azygos vein rather than its left side equivalents. Its variations, especially in young persons without any relevant risk factors, may result in thromboembolic illness. This study aimed to describe the morphological and morphometric variations of azygos system of veins. The present study was conducted on thirty formalin fixed adult human cadavers by dissecting azygos vein from formation to termination and variations were noted...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the yield of cervical mediastinoscopy in determining causes of mediastinal lymph node enlargement. STUDY DESIGN: Observational study. Place and Duration of the Study: CMH Rawalpindi, Lahore and Multan, from January 2010 to December 2021. METHODOLOGY: Patients who underwent lymph node biopsy through cervical mediastinoscopy approach were included. Record of the patients including age, gender, clinical presentation, and findings on CT scan chest were noted along with the record of preoperative complications and duration of surgery...