The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 19, 121-126, Copyright © 1975 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Mediastinoscopy. Its application in central versus peripheral thoracic lesions
W Stanford, S Steele, RG Armstrong and GL Larsen
In an attempt to ascertain the value of mediastinoscopy in peripheral lung
lesions, records of 157 patients undergoing cervicomediastinal exploration
(CME) at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center were reviewed. Among patients
with benign lesions, CME was positive in 90.6% of those who had central
lesions and 58.3% of those with peripheral lesions. It was positive in all
7 patients who had peripheral lesions with associated mediastinal nodes on
roentgenogram and negative in all 5 who had peripheral lesions without
nodes. In the patients with malignant lesions, CME was positive in 72.9% of
those who had central lesions and 58.1% of those with peripheral lesions.
It was positive in 24 of 27 patients who had peripheral lesions with
associated mediastinal nodes and negative in 15 of 16 patients with
peripheral lesions without nodes. Although we recognize this to be a
selected series, CME does appear to be valuable in patients with central
lesions and peripheral lesions with mediastinal nodal involvement on
roentgenogram. It does not appear to be as useful in those with peripheral
lesions who do not have central nodal involvement.