[The diagnostic value of mediastinoscopy and its application in staging for lung cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the value of mediastinoscopy in diagnosing unknown mediastinal disease and staging of lung cancers.


METHODS
From October 2000 to August 2001, 41 patients were examined by cervical mediastinoscopy with or without anterior mediastinotomy for diagnostic and staging purposes. Of these 41 patients, 12 were for diagnosis of unknown mediastinal disease, 3 for diagnosis and staging of pulmonary nodule or mass clinically suspected to be malignancy and 26 for the staging of lung cancer.


RESULTS
Ten of 12 patients with unknown mediastinal disease were diagnosed pathologically as thymoma in 1, metastatic lesion from lung cancer in 1, metastatic thyroid carcinoma in 1, lymph node hyperplasia in 1, teratoma in 1, sarcoidosis in 1, inflammatory pseudotumor in 1 and tuberculosis in 3, giving a diagnostic rate of 83.3%. Of three patients with suspected malignancy, one was diagnosed as tuberculosis by cervical mediastinoscopy and the other two as lymphoma and pulmonary inflammatory pseudotumor by thoracoscopy and thoracotomy. The sensitivity and specificity of mediastinoscopy for the staging of mediastinal nodes in 26 lung cancers were 87.5% and 100%. Only one wound infection but no other major complication was found.


CONCLUSIONS
Mediastinoscopy is a safe procedure which can accurately provide information on diagnosis and staging.
Wang
Xin
X
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Sun Yet-Sen University of Medical Sciences, Cancer Center, Guangzhou 510060, China.
Huang
Zhifan
Z
Rong
Tiehua
T
Wu
Qiuliang
Q
Liang
Xiaoman
X
Yang
Mingtian
M
Ceng
Canguang
C
Long
Hao
H
Lin
Peng
P
Fu
Jianhua
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008481:Mediastinoscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging