ObjectiveTo explore the etiology, clinical manifestation, computed tomography (CT) manifestations, pathological character, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and treatment of fibrous mediastinitis in China.MethodsThe clinical data of a patient with fibrous mediastinitis admitted to Hospital of Sichuan Provincial Armed Police Force were retrospectively analyzed and the related literature was reviewed. A literature research was performed with " fibrous mediastinitis, mediastinal fibrosis, sclerosing mediastinitis, chronic mediastinitis ”as the Chinese key word in WanFang database and China national knowledge internet, and " fibrous mediastinitis, mediastinal fibrosis, fibrosis of mediastinum, fibrosing mediastinitis, sclerosing mediastinitis, chronic mediastinitis” as English key words in PubMed database. The time interval was from January 1980 to December 2016.ResultsThe patient was a 59 year old male, whose chest CT scan showed soft tissue density in pulmonary hilar and mediastina, with bronchus truncation and obvious stenosis of pulmonary artery in hilar. Literature review found 12 related articles reporting 37 cases of fibrous mediastinitis in China. Fifteen cases were caused by tuberculosis infection presumably, and 9 cases were idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis. The common clinical manifestations were cough, dyspnea, chest tightness and pain, fever, and edema. CT manifested soft tissue density in pulmonary hilar and mediastina, which were diffuse in 32 cases. Trachea and bronchus were involved in 26 cases, while pulmonary artery in 29 cases, pulmonary vein in 13 cases, plural effusion in 16 cases, and vena cava and its branch in 8 cases. Other involved regions were described in 18 cases, including aorta and its branch in 4 cases, esophagus in 1 case, and there were pericardial effusion in 6 cases. Fourteen cases had pathology results.ConclusionsThe most common etiological factor of fibrous mediastinitis in China is tuberculosis infection, secondly idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis. Clinical manifestation is nonspecific. mostly diffuse, surrounding bronchus, esophagus and blood vessels in hilar and mediastina, and sometimes infiltrating into pericardium and pleurae. Its pathological character is proliferation of fibrous tissue, with proliferation of lymphocytes, and without envelope. The diagnosis depends on CT and pathology. Corticosteroid is considered to treat idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis, while surgery and vascular interventional therapy may improve symptoms of vascular compression in mediastina.
Abstract： Objective To introduce the new procedure of endobronchial ultrasoundguided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUSTBNA) for staging lung cancer and diagnosing thoracic diseases, in order to determine its value in the evaluation of thoracic diseases. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the data of all patients examined with EBUSTBNA our institution between September 2009 and May 2010. Among the patients, there were 75 males and 31 females with an average age of 62.3 years old. Based on their primary indication, we divided all the 106 patients into three categories. (1) There were 76 patients with known or bly suspected lung cancer. Enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes on radiographic examination of the chest (≥1.0 cm) were detected in all the patients. (2) There were 22 patients with enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes or mediastinal masses of unknown origin. (3) There were 8 patients with pulmonary mass located close to the central airways. Results (1) 76 patients underwent EBUSTBNA for known or bly suspected lung cancer. Among them, 58 patients were confirmed to have mediastinal lymph nodes metastasis on EBUSTBNA. Sixteen in the 18 patients with negative EBUSTBNA underwent thoracoscopy or thoracotomy for pulmonary resection and mediastinal lymph node dissection. Postoperative pathology confirmed that 12 patients did not have metastatic nodes, 2 patients had metastatic nodes and 2 other patients had benign lesions within the lung. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of EBUSTBNA for the mediastinal staging of lung cancer were 96.66%(58/60), 100.00%(12/12) and 97.22%(70/72), respectively. (2) 22 patients underwent EBUSTBNA for the evaluation of mediastinal adenopathy or mass in the absence of any identifiable pulmonary lesion. Among them, 7 had malignancy, 13 had benign diseases on EBUSTBNA and the sensitivity of EBUSTBNA in distinguishing malignant mediastinal diseases was 87.50% (7/8). (3) 8 patients with pulmonary mass located close to the central airways were accessed by EBUSTBNA. Definite diagnosis was achieved in 7 patients, and lung cancer was detected in 6 patients. The sensitivity and the diagnostic accuracy of EBUSTBNA for the diagnosis of unknown pulmonary mass was 85.71%(6/7) and 87.50%(7/8), respectively. All the procedures were uneventful, and there were no complications. Conclusion EBUSTBNA is a highly effective and safe procedure. We believe that EBUSTBNA should be used routinely in the diagnosis and staging of thoracic diseases.
ObjectiveTo investigate the safety and efficacy of 3D single-portal inflatable mediastinoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.MethodsClinical data of 28 patients, including 25 males and 3 females, aged 51-76 years, with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma undergoing single-portal inflatable mediastinoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy from June 2018 to June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups according to different surgical methods including a 3D mediastinoscopic group (3D group, 10 patients) and a 2D mediastinoscopic group (2D group, 18 patients). The perioperative outcome of the two groups were compared.ResultsCompared with the 2D group, the 3D group had shorter operation time (P=0.017), more lymph nodes resected (P=0.005) and less estimated blood loss (P=0.015). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the main surgeon's vertigo and visual ghosting (P>0.05). The other aspects including the indwelling time, postoperative hospital stay, pulmonary infection, arrhythmia, anastomotic fistula, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury were not statistically significant between the two groups (P>0.05).ConclusionThe 3D inflatable mediastinoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer, which optimizes the surgical procedures of 2D, is safe and feasible, and is worthy of clinical promotion in the future.
Descending necrotizing mediastinitis （DNM）is a severe infection spreading from the cervical or odontoiatric region to the mediastinum through the anatomic cervical spaces. DNM is very rare but fatal. The course of the illness proceeds rapidly and the mortality rate is high. The pathogenic process is closely related to anatomical and physiological characteristic of cervix and mediastinum. The most valuable way for decreasing its high mortality rate is to give early diagnosis and treatments. Computed tomography(CT) scan is especially important method in early diagnosis.The early and enough use of broad spectrum antibiotics, individual surgical management based on neck and chest CT, such as clearing necrotic tissues,drainage and flushing are all effective methods to decrease mortality rate. Related management , such as department of stomatology, head and neck surgery, thoracic surgery,intensive care unit, and infectious department,should give cooperative therapy when necessary. At the same time, more attention should be paid to the patients who have some systemic disease such as diabetes mellitus and whose physical constitutions are very poor, which could lead to DNM and worsening. It can help to decrease the incidence rate of fatal complications and to increase cure rate.
ObjectiveTo emphasize the important role of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in treatment of mediastinal bronchogenic cysts (MBCs).MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 112 patients (53 males and 59 females) of mediastinal bronchogenic cysts who underwent VATS in our institution between April 2001 and Aprial 2016. Median age was 4–75 (45.6±15.0) years. All patients underwent chest CT preoperatively. The patients were divided into two groups: an anterior mediastinum group, 47 patients; a middle and posterior mediastinum group, 65 patients including 35 patients in the middle mediastinum, 30 patients in the posterior mediastinum. The average diameter was 0.5–22.0 (3.50±2.33) cm. The average CT attenuation was 0–67 (35.5±15.3) Hu on unenhanced CT. We began each operation with the VATS technique.ResultsThe CT diagnostic accuracy for group middle and posterior mediastinum with CT value≤20 Hu was higher than others (61.5% vs. 13.1%, χ2=17.675, P<0.001). A total of 111 patients underwent VATS, only one patient converted to open thoracotomy. Cyst resection and thymectomy were conducted in 45 patients, cyst resection and extended thymectomy were conducted in 2 patients in the anterior mediastinum group. Simply cyst resection were performed in the middle and posterior mediastinum group (n=65). The average operative time was 40–360 (104.5±43.1) min. The average intraoperative blood loss was 5–600 (57.9±88.9) mL. The intraoperative complication rate was 3.6% and the incomplete resection rate was 6.3%. The main reason for these was severe adhesion between the cyst and mediastinal structure. No serious postoperative complication was found. Follow-up was done in 99 patients, and the mean follow-up time was 42 (12–191) months. There was no local recurrence.ConclusionVATS resection of MBCs is a safe and efficacious procedure, and minimally invasive and surgical resection should be performed as early as possible for MBCs.
Primary acinic cell carcinoma (ACC) of the lung is extremely rare. The World Health Organization tumor classification defines ACC as "a malignant epithelial neoplasm that demonstrates some cytological differentiation towards (serous) acinar cells". It is considered to be a low-grade malignant tumor. Since the first case described by Fechner in 1972, less than 30 cases have been reported in the literature. The rarity of this tumor may leads it to be confused with other primary lung tumors and incorrectly diagnosed. We reported a female patient with primary ACC of the lung with mediastinum deviation at age of 27 years received a right pneumonectomy. She was followed up for 12 months postoperatively and remains well.
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical features and prognosis of fibrinous mediastinum and evaluate the value of different examinations in diagnosis and evaluation. MethodsTwenty-eight patients with mediastinal fibrosis diagnosed between January 2015 and September 2020 in China-Japan Friendship Hospital were studied retrospectively. The Clinical manifestations, radiological characteristics, endoscopic features, echocardiography, V/Q SPECT, cardiac catheterization, treatment and prognosis were analyzed.ResultsThe main clinical symptoms were cough (77.6%), expectoration (57.1%), wheezing or suffocating (42.9%), dyspnea (39.3%). There were 67.9% of the cases who were considered previous or present tuberculosis. Imaging findings showed that the fat density in the mediastinum disappeared, the irregular soft tissue of the mediastinum surrounded the airway and pulmonary vessels, and many lymph nodes enlarged and calcified, and multiple bronchus and pulmonary vessels were compressed and narrowed. Pulmonary function was mainly manifested as obstructive ventilate dysfunction and decreased diffusion volume. Under bronchoscopy, the bronchial mucosa showed pigmentation, bronchial distortion or multiple stenosis, even occlusion, and bronchial mucosa edema or congestion. Echocardiography and catheterization of the right heart showed that pulmonary hypertension and diastolic cardiac dysfunction were common complications of fibrillary mediastinum. Pulmonary ventilation perfusion imaging showed impaired blood perfusion in 87.5% of patients and impaired ventilation perfusion in 37.5% of patients. The symptoms of some patients alleviated after anti-infective and symptomatic treatment, but the mediastinal fibrosis was irreversible, and the efficacy of anti-tuberculosis and glucocorticoid therapy was limited. ConclusionsFor patients with clinical consideration of fibrous mediastinum, chest enhanced CT should be performed for clear diagnosis. Relevant examinations, such as pulmonary function, endoscopic, echocardiography, should be conducted to evaluate whether the disease involves airway, pulmonary vessels, pericardium, superior vena cava and esophagus, as well as the degree of functional involvement. Attention should be paid to the evaluation of patients with pulmonary hypertension and diastolic cardiac insufficiency.