title: Mediastinal lymph node biopsy in sarcoidosis.
abstract: Mediastinoscopy, in the skilled hands of a thoracic surgeon has proved to be a safe, cosmetically accepted procedure with negligible complications. It has yielded a high rate of diagnostic lymph node tissue; overall greater than 82% among patients with sarcoidosis, including patients presenting with pulmonary mottling only or with a normal chest radiograph. Among patients with lymphatic tuberculosis it enabled the isolation of human M. tuberculosis following culture of the lymph node removed on Löwenstein-Jensen medium in greater than 79% of cases. A precise histological diagnosis was obtained in all 14 patients presenting with hilar and/or paratracheal lymphadenopathy attributable to malignant disease.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007731:Kveim Test; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008481:Mediastinoscopy; D011859:Radiography; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014388:Tuberculosis, Lymph Node / Q000175:diagnosis