[Endoscopic ultrasound of pathological mediastinal findings].
BACKGROUND
Mediastinal diseases are mostly diagnosed by CT and MRI. The applicability of ultrasound is limited by the surrounding air- and bone-containing thorax, which permits only restricted echo windows. Transesophageal endoscopic ultrasonography circumvents this problem and ensures visualization of parts of the mediastinum.


METHODS
We report our results in 38 patients with pathological mediastinal findings who were examined by endoscopic ultrasound between 1988 and 1993. The diagnoses were established by imaging and/or histological procedures.


RESULTS
The following mediastinal diseases were diagnosed in 38 patients: aberrant right subclavian artery (n = 3), right aortic arch (n = 1), aortic aneurysm (n = 6), cysts (n = 4), retrosternal struma (n = 3), mediastinal lymph node tuberculosis (n = 1), Hodgkin's/non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (n = 11), lymph node involvement in bronchogenic carcinoma (n = 8), mediastinal inflammatory fibrosarcoma (n = 1). Altogether, 37/38 pathological findings were demonstrated endosonographically.


CONCLUSIONS
The results in this small group of patients with pathological mediastinal findings show that endoscopic ultrasound can give additional information to conventional imaging methods. A prospective comparative study is necessary to evaluate this procedure in comparison to the established imaging techniques.
Zimmer
T
T
Klinik für Innere Medizin und Gastroenterologie, Klinikum Benjamin Franklin der Freien Universität Berlin.
Rost
T
T
Patan
M
M
Dulce
M C
MC
Liehr
R M
RM
Riecken
E O
EO
D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019160:Endosonography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008477:Mediastinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed