From radiological assumption to pathological conviction: experience with video mediastinoscopy at a tertiary cancer center

Abstract

Author(s): Nizamudheen MP, Abhay K Kattepur, Satheesan B

Purpose: To describe the role of mediastinoscopy in the setting of mediastinaladenopathy secondary to pulmonary and non-pulmonary cancers. Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients undergoing video mediastinoscopy from November 2016 to December 2018 at tertiary cancer center for mediastinaladenopathy from lung cancer and non-pulmonary cancers with mediastinal nodes. Results: Twelve patients were included out of which 11 patients underwent diagnostic mediastinoscopy. The median age was 58 years. Seven patients had lung cancer.The mean number of nodes sampled was 10.5 (range: 2-28 nodes). Five patients had mediastinaladenopathy from non-pulmonary cancer like endometrial, oropharyngeal and Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy was noted in one patient. Conclusion: Mediastinoscopy serves as a valuable asset for staging of lung cancer and in the assessment of suspicious nodes in the setting of non-pulmonary cancers. However, training and expertise is in the need of the hour to prevent redundancy of this valuable procedure.

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