title: Infrasternal mediastinoscopic surgery for anterior mediastinal masses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infrasternal mediastinoscopic surgery is a new alternative to the thoracoscopic approach for patients with anterior mediastinal masses.
  
  
  METHODS
  We applied this technique to 18 thymectomies, one thymomectomy, and one cystectomy in a total of 20 patients with anterior mediastinal masses and then assessed the surgical results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Infrasternal mediastinoscopic surgery was accomplished in 18 of the 20 patients (90%). The pathological diagnoses included 13 Masaoka stage I thymomas, one stage II thymoma, two stage III thymomas, one thymic cyst, one pericardial cyst, one thymic granuloma, and one mature teratoma. Two patients with stage III thymoma required conversion to sternotomy, one for invasion into the innominate vein and the other for invasion into the pericardium. There was no surgically related mortality or complications in any patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infrasternal mediastinoscopic surgery is safe and feasible for stage I thymoma and other benign tumors in the anterior mediastinum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Oncology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, 812-8582, Fukuoka, Japan. kyukou@pmet.or.jp
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uchiyama
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohshima
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Konomi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ogura
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuroki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008481:Mediastinoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000379:methods*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000601:surgery; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery