• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.120-124
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• 1996

We report three cases of posterior mediastinal tumor in Von Recklinghausen's disease on 12-yearsy old boy, 8-years-old girl and 6-years-old boy. Especially the last case was combinded with "Dumbbell" neurilemmoma of cervical spine. In the first case, preoperative CT scan showed a homogeneous large mass In the posterior mediastinum. But the mass did not show intraspinal invasion on the chest MRI scan. In the last case, cervical spine CT with thecal enhancement shows dumbbell shaped neurofibroma, compressed spinal cord and thecal sac In three cases we removed all the masses successfully and the patients were discharged safely without significant problem.t problem.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.1225-1232
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• 1990

From March 1986 to June 1990, the percutaneous Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy[FNAB] of 102 thoracic lesions were performed with Westcott needle [slotted 20G or 22G thin needle], for the purpose of identifying and diagnosing thoracic lesions. There were 94 lung lesions [67 malignant tumors, 27 benign lesions] and 8 mediastinal and chest wall lesions. The results of FNAB were compared with sputum cytology and bronchoscopic examinations. The sputum cytologic examinations were performed in 54 cases of malignant lung tumor and the malignant cell was found at the 18 cases [33%]. We bronchoscopic examinations were performed in 24 cases and the malignant cell was found at the 12 cases [55%]. The positive diagnostic rate of malignancy was 100% by FNAB. Among them, 55 cases [82%] were diagnosed by cytologic examinations and 43 cases[64%] by both. The specific diagnoses for benign lung lesions in 15 cases[55%] and for mediastinal and chest well lesions in 5 cases[62%]. The 7 patients[6.9%] developed the pneumothorax and 5 of them required the treatment. Therefore, the FNAB of thoracic lesions may be a preferred diagnostic method because of its safety, simplicity and accuracy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.525-527
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• 2000

Subarachnoid-pleural fistula after routine thoracotomy is a rare complication but a very serious problem. Twenty one cases have been reported in the literature. We report a care of subarchnoid-pleural fistula that dveloped after the esecation of posterior mediastinal neurogenic tumor. The patient presented with large amount of clear pleural fluid with mild headache and dizziness. Surgical intervention following a trial of conservative therapy was undertaken because we strongly suspected subarachnoid-pleural fistula. A dural tear was found at the level of resected intercostal nerve root. The dura was closed by way of direct suture and fibrin glue. In this case, the recognition of subarachnoid-pleural fistula formation is difficult because the patient had not presented any neurologic deficit.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.1019-1023
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• 1991

Broncholithiasis is defined as a condition in which a concretion is present within a bronchus or a cavity in the lung communicating with a bronchus. Broncholithiasis, although recognized in antiquity by Aristotle and well known to accompany the mediastinal calcifications of tuberculosis and histoplasmosis frequently seen in our society, is rarely mentioned in recent medical literature. Esophagobronchial fistula is an uncommon finding in broncholithiasis. This report is a case of esophagobronchial fistula with broncholithiasis in 58-year-old male patient who complained paroxysmal coughing after ingestion of fluids. The fistulous tract was successfully resected and reinforced by mediastinal pleura. Broncholithiasis was confirmed by lithoptysis as the cause of previous esophagobronchial fistula.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.561-565
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• 1990

We experienced thymolipoma which is a rare benign mediastinal tumor, an admixture of atrophic thymic tissue and matured adipose tissue. The patient was, 13 years old boy, admitted due to anterior mediastinal mass on routine chest X-ray and complained of mild exertional dyspnea. The physical examination revealed percussion dullness, decreased breathing sound at right anterior hemithorax. The chest PA and lateral views showed both paracardiac mass density and obliteration of retrosternal clear space. The chest CT Scan showed tubular structure containing of thymic tissue and enhanced fatty tissue, suggested thymolipoma. Operation was performed under the impression of thymolipoma. Through median sternotomy, the huge mass was resected. Grossly, the mass was yellowish fatty colored, measured 15X12X10cm, weighed 600gm. Light microscopic examination showed that thymic tissue containing of Hassal`s corpuscles were surrounded by matured adipose tissue, as the characteristic finding of thymolipoma. The postoperative course was uneventful.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.787-792
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• 1988

Esophageal duplication constitute about 10% of all the mediastinal tumor and relatively rare condition. We have experienced one case of esophageal duplication which was found 2 years previously by radiologic study of chest, as mediastinal mass, in 37 years old male. He had neither clinical manifestations nor physical findings leading to the surgical discovery of the duplication. During the last 2 years, the size k location of the mass were stationary in character. Operative therapy of complete excision performed without surgical complication. On microscopic study, the lining cell of inner wall of cyst. Noted pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium with smooth muscle.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.689-694
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• 1994

A retrospective analysis was performed on 36 patients with primary cysts and tumors of the mediastinum seen at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery of Maryknoll Hospital from January 1983 to December 1993. There were 21 female and 15 male patients in the study. Ages ranges from 2 years to 72 years, with a mean of 34.7. There were 9 malignant tumors and 27 benign tumors.Thymic neoplasms were the most common. For the whole series, 29 of the patients had tumors in the anterior mediastinum. There appears to be an in6rease in tumors in the anterior compartment. There were 30 symptomatic patients in our series. Of the patients with malignant disease, 89 % were symptomatic. All of benign tumors were completely removed and malignant tumors were treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy after operation. There were 9[27.3 %] postoperative complications. There was no postoperative mortality. Follow-up was available on 27 patients. There was no recurrence, malignant degeneration, or growth of any tumor. It is hoped that careful evaluation and aggressive treatment of mediastinal tumors will continue to provide improvement in the prognosis for these patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.781-784
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• 2009

Pericardial cyst is an uncommon congenital mediastinal tumor. The majority of pericardial cysts are located in the right cardiophrenic angle, but rarely they can be located intrapericardially. We now present a case of a huge intra-pericardial pericardial cyst excised with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.158-161
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• 2021

Chordoma is a rare malignant bone tumor originating from the embryonic notochord. Herein, we present a case of thoracic chordoma located at T3-T5 that was misdiagnosed as primary mediastinal adenocarcinoma. The patient underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation and the disease showed little response. Due to vertebral body invasion, we performed en bloc mass removal and partial corpectomy (T4-5) in collaboration with orthopedic surgeons.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.299-308
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• 1990

A review of 50 patients with primary mediastinal tumors or cysts has been done to evaluate clinical and pathological behavior of this heterogeneous group of tumors proved by either excision or biopsy from January 1980 to August 1989 at the cardiovascular department of surgery in Kyungpook National University Hospital. There were 30 males and 20 females in this series. The ages of patients ranged from 4 months to 64 years. The mean age of subjects was 30.4 years. Neurogenic tumors [14 cases, 28%] and teratoma [14 cases, 28%] were most frequently encountered and followed by thymoma [10 cases, 20%] and benign cysts [4 cases, 8%]. The anatomic location of the primary mediastinal tumors or cysts was classified as anterior mediastinum and middle or visceral mediastinum and paravertebral or costovertebral mediastinum on the basis of the Shields’ proposition. In 32 patients[64%], the tumors or cysts were located in anterior mediastinum and in 13 patients[26%], the tumors or cysts were located in paravertebral or costovertebral mediastinum. And the rest 5 patients[10%] had middle or visceral mediastinal tumors or cysts. One of the characteristic features of primary mediastinal tumors or cysts is that some mediastinal tumors or cysts have their own preferred location in the mediastinum. In our series, all of the 14 patients with teratoma and 10 patients with thymoma had the anterior mediastinal location, while 13 of the 14 patients with neurogenic tumors had the paravertebral mediastinal location. 14 patients[28%] were asymptomatic and they all were discovered via so-called “Routine” chest x-ray examination. 39 of 50 patients[78%] were benign. 11 patients[22%] were malignant and they were all symptomatic. 40 patients[80%] were treated with complete resection. 5 patients[10%] were treated with partial resection : 2 of malignant thymoma, 3 of lipoma, neuroblastoma, primary squamous cell carcinoma. The rest 5 patients[10%] were only biopsied: 2 of undetermined malignancy and 3 of hemangioma, lymphoma, primary squamous cell carcinoma. 4 of the 10 patients were treated with combination of irradiation and chemotherapy. Postoperative complications were as followings: Horner’s syndrome [4cases, ado], respiratory failure [3 cases, 6%], pleural effusion[3 cases, 6%], Wound infection[2 cases, 4%] and bleeding, pneumothorax, empyema. There were 5 postoperative deaths [10%]. One patient with neuroblastoma died from intraoperative massive bleeding, 3 patients died early postoperatively from respiratory failure with undetermined malignancy died late postoperatively from congestive heart failure due to direct invasion of the tumor to the heart.