ATS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
 QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     


This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Permission Requests
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Marty-Ané, C.-H.
Right arrow Articles by Mary, H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Marty-Ané, C.-H.
Right arrow Articles by Mary, H.

Ann Thorac Surg 1999;68:212-217
© 1999 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons


Original Articles

Management of descending necrotizing mediastinitis: an aggressive treatment for an aggressive disease

Charles-Henri Marty-Ané, MDa, Jean-Philippe Berthet, MDa, Pierre Alric, MDa, Jean-Dominique Pegis, MDa, Philippe Rouvière, MDa, Henri Mary, MDa

a Service de Chirurgie Thoracique et Vasculaire, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, Montpellier, France

Address reprint requests to Dr Marty-Ané, Service de Chirurgie Thoracique et Vasculaire, Hôpital Arnaud de Villeneuve, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, 34295 Montpellier Cedex, France

Background. Descending necrotizing mediastinitis represent a virulent form of mediastinal infection requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment to reduce the high mortality associated with this disease. Surgical management and a particularly optimal form of mediastinal drainage remain controversial.

Methods. Over a 10-year period, 12 patients were treated at our institution. Surgical treatment consisted of 1 or several cervical drainages, associated with drainage of the mediastinum through a thoracic approach in 11 patients. Thoracic procedures included radical surgical debridement of the mediastinum with complete excision of the tissue necrosis, decortication, and pleural drainage with adequate placement of chest tubes for mediastino-pleural irrigation. Transcervical mediastinal drainage was performed in only 1 patient.

Results. The outcome was favorable in 10 patients, 9 of whom had mediastinal drainage through thoracotomy. Two patients were initially drained through a minor thoracic approach; the first died of tracheal fistula and the second required new drainage through a thoracotomy. The patient who had transcervical mediastinal drainage without a thoracic approach presented an abscess limited to the anterior and superior mediastinum. In 3 patients, ongoing mediastinal sepsis required a second thoracotomy.

Conclusion. A stepwise approach with transcervical mediastinal drainage is first justified in patients with very limited disease to the upper mediastinum. However, ongoing mediastinal sepsis requires new drainage, through a major thoracic approach, without delay. Extensive mediastinitis can not be adequately treated without mediastinal drainage including a thoracotomy. This aggressive surgical policy has allowed us to maintain a low mortality rate (16.5%) in a series of 12 patients with this highly lethal disease.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg.Home page
K.-C. Chen, J.-S. Chen, S.-W. Kuo, P.-M. Huang, H.-H. Hsu, J.-M. Lee, and Y.-C. Lee
Descending necrotizing mediastinitis: A 10-year surgical experience in a single institution
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., July 1, 2008; 136(1): 191 - 198.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
M. Gorlitzer, M. Grabenwoeger, J. Meinhart, H. Swoboda, W. Oczenski, N. Fiegl, and F. Waldenberger
Descending Necrotizing Mediastinitis Treated With Rapid Sternotomy Followed by Vacuum-Assisted Therapy
Ann. Thorac. Surg., February 1, 2007; 83(2): 393 - 396.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
K. Shimizu, Y. Otani, T. Nakano, Y. Takayasu, Y. Yasuoka, and Y. Morishita
Successful Video-Assisted Mediastinoscopic Drainage of Descending Necrotizing Mediastinitis
Ann. Thorac. Surg., June 1, 2006; 81(6): 2279 - 2281.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg.Home page
T. Iwata, Y. Sekine, K. Shibuya, K. Yasufuku, A. Iyoda, T. Iizasa, Y. Saito, and T. Fujisawa
Early open thoracotomy and mediastinopleural irrigation for severe descending necrotizing mediastinitis
Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., September 1, 2005; 28(3): 384 - 388.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ICVTSHome page
Y. Inoue, M. Gika, K. Nozawa, Y. Ikeda, and I. Takanami
Optimum drainage method in descending necrotizing mediastinitis
Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery, June 1, 2005; 4(3): 189 - 192.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Emerg. Med. J.Home page
S-L Chou, C-H Chern, J-D Chen, C-K How, L-M Wang, and C-H Lee
Descending necrotising mediastinitis: a report of misdiagnosis as thoracic aortic dissection
Emerg. Med. J., March 1, 2005; 22(3): 227 - 228.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg.Home page
F. Stella and F. Petrella
Transsternal transpericardial approach for acute descending necrotizing mediastinitis
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., January 1, 2005; 129(1): 212 - 214.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Am. J. Roentgenol.Home page
Y. Nakamori, S. Fujimi, H. Ogura, Y. Kuwagata, H. Tanaka, T. Shimazu, T. Ueda, and H. Sugimoto
Conventional Open Surgery Versus Percutaneous Catheter Drainage in the Treatment of Cervical Necrotizing Fasciitis and Descending Necrotizing Mediastinitis
Am. J. Roentgenol., June 1, 2004; 182(6): 1443 - 1449.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
N. Isowa, T. Yamada, T. Kijima, K. Hasegawa, and K. Chihara
Successful thoracoscopic debridement of descending necrotizing mediastinitis
Ann. Thorac. Surg., May 1, 2004; 77(5): 1834 - 1837.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
H.-K. Min, Y. S. Choi, Y. M. Shim, Y. I. Sohn, and J. Kim
Descending necrotizing mediastinitis: a minimally invasive approach using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery
Ann. Thorac. Surg., January 1, 2004; 77(1): 306 - 310.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Emerg. Med. J.Home page
M Bulut, V Balci, S Akkose, and E Armagan
Fatal descending necrotising mediastinitis
Emerg. Med. J., January 1, 2004; 21(1): 122 - 123.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg.Home page
E. Papalia, O. Rena, A. Oliaro, A. Cavallo, R. Giobbe, C. Casadio, G. Maggi, and M. Mancuso
Descending necrotizing mediastinitis: surgical management
Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., October 1, 2001; 20(4): 739 - 742.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
T. Hasegawa, S. Endo, and Y. Sohara
Classification of descending necrotizing mediastinitis
Ann. Thorac. Surg., April 1, 2000; 69(4): 1296 - 1296.
[Full Text] [PDF]




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
ANN THORAC SURG ASIAN CARDIOVASC THORAC ANN EUR J CARDIOTHORAC SURG
J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG ICVTS ALL CTSNet JOURNALS
Copyright © 1999 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.