title: [Mini-invasive treatment of esophageal leiomyoma by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To discuss the application value of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in treatment of esophageal leiomyoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data of patients with esophageal leiomyoma treated by VATS from January 1999 to August 2007 were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VATS esophageal leiomyoma enucleations were performed successfully in 23 patients, and 18 patients of them were performed by pure VATS, 5 patients of them were performed with mini-thoracotomy. All the procedures of operations were completed smoothly without mortality and postoperative complications. 22 patients were pathologically diagnosed as esophageal leiomyoma after surgery (2 patients' leiomyoma came from muscularis mucosa). 1 patient was esophageal muscularis neurilemmoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VATS leiomyoma enucleations must be a routine operation while treat thoracic esophageal leiomyoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Union Hospital, Fujian Medical Univercity, Fuzhou 350001, China.
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ruo-Bai
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Pei-Qiu
authors.initials: PQ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ming-Qiang
authors.initials: MQ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000379:methods*