title: [Value of mediastinoscopy in the diagnosis of stage I thoracic sarcoidosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the current role of mediastinoscopy in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of stage I thoracic sarcoidosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical data of 60 patients with a presumptive diagnosis of stage I thoracic sarcoidosis underwent mediastinoscopy from November 1999 to June 2007 were analyzed retrospectively. All the patients had hilum of lung and/or mediastinal lymphadenopathy with normal lung parenchyma on thoracic CT scan. Typical stage I sarcoidosis was defined as presence of bilateral hilum of lung lymphadenopathy with/without mediastinal lymphadenopathy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the patients had definitive pathologic diagnosis. Among the 33 patients with typical presentation of stage I sarcoidosis, 32 patients were confirmed by pathology. One patient was reactive lymph node. Among the 27 patients with atypical patterns on CT, 17 patients were confirmed by pathology. No postoperative complication and mortality occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For the patient with a presumptive diagnosis of typical stage I thoracic sarcoidosis after clinical and radiological evaluation, confirmation of the diagnosis by mediastinoscopy and lymph node biopsy is unwarranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, People's Hospital, Peking University, Beijing 100044, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jian-feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Guan-chao
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yan-guo
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008481:Mediastinoscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000175:diagnosis*