Re-mediastinoscopy in the assessment of resectability of lung cancer

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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Thirty-one patients underwent re-mediastinoscopy in thediagnostic assessment of lung cancer. The reason for a repeatmediastinoscopy was either a negative result at the first operation inspite of CT indication of enlarged nodes or an incomplete firstmediastinoscopy. METHODS: All patients underwent a conventionalmediastinoscopy. RESULTS: In 22 patients with enlarged mediastinal lymphnodes at computed tomography, 10 had a positive lymph node histology atre-mediastinoscopy, while 12 were negative. In 9 patients with no enlargedmediastinal nodes at CT scan, but incomplete biopsies at the firstmediastinoscopy, 1 patient had lymph node metastases. The median durationfrom the first to the second mediastinoscopy was 43 days. No majorcomplications occurred. The staging of the patients was greatly affected bythe re-mediastinoscopy. Of 31 patients judged as operable according to theinitial mediastinoscopy only 60% were found to be operable following thesecond mediastinoscopy. CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated the valueof re-mediastinoscopy in assessment of resectability of lung cancer.

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