title: [Descending necrotizing mediastinitis].
abstract: We treated of 3 patients with descending necrotizing mediastinitis that is often to be fatal. There are 3 important issues regarding the treatment of this disease. First, the precise sites of abscess should be determined by computed tomography (CT) scans from the neck to diaphragm. Second, effective drainage of the neck and mediastinal abscess should be carried out immediately when the sites of abscess are determined. Third, drainage under video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) is an appropriate treatment because VATS is less invasive and provides an easier placement of the drainage tubes at abscess sites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Kanazawa Medical University, Ishikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Machida
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aikawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Usuda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sagawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakuma
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008480:Mediastinitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D011859:Radiography