• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.34-39
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• 2007

Background: The mediastinum is the anatomic space which is restricted and the clinical aspect varies according to location, size and type of neoplasm. Diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to mediastinal neoplasms have changed over and over. We presented our recent therapeutic experiences with these neoplasms. The object and method: The 36 patients were treated in operation from 2000 until 2006. The male patients were 20 and the female patients were 16. Age of the patients ranged from 5 to 70, and the median age was $46.4{\pm}21.9$. The child patients were two. Result: The most prevalent anatomic distribution of the neoplasm was anterosuperior mediastinum. The most common neoplasm was thymoma, followed by thymic cyst, teratoma, ganglioneuroma. The complete excison of neoplasm was accomplished in 96% of patient group except thymoma patient group. One patient underwent total thymectomy, and the other 12 patients underwent extended thymectomy from 13 thymoma patient group. In the malignant neoplasm, 7 patients were received additional treatment after operation. There was short-term death of 1 person and late death of 1 person. Conclusion: Our results except clinical manifestation are compared favorably with other reports. Surgery is the management of choice for patients with mediastinal neoplasm and early curative resection is considered to optimize clinical outcome for patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.401-403
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• 2009

We performed nerve resection and reconstruction of the phrenic nerve in a 63-year-old female patient who underwent complete resection of a malignant thymoma. The left phrenic nerve was completely encased by the tumor for 2 cm. Thus, a 3 cm long piece of phrenic nerve with 5 mm margins of safety on each end was resected and it was directly anastomosed in an end-to-end fashion. At 11 months after reconstruction, fluoroscopy demonstrated adequate and symmetric motion of both hemidiaphragms, which indicated the restoration of phrenic nerve function. The pulmonary function test results were comparable to those obtained preoperatively at 30 months. There has been no evidence of recurrence at the recent follow up visits.

• 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.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.225-230
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• 1990

Twenty one patients of malignant thymoma treated with curative aim at the Department of Therapeutic Radiology of Seoul National University Hospital from 1979 to 1987 were analysed retrospectively. The 3 year overall and relapse free survival rate was $80.5\%\;and\;78.6$, respectively. Myasthenia gravis (MG) was seen in $43.5\%$ at presentation and disappeared in $40\%$ (4/10) after radiotherapy with or without operation. The 3 year cumulative survival rate with and without MG was $90\;and\;78.8\%$, respectively. We could consider that MG was no longer adverse prognostic factor. The complete response rate after partial resection was $100\%$ (3/3), and that after biopsy was $20\%$(3/15). The overall local control rate including complete and partial response rate ($33\;vs\;56\%$)was$89\%$ and the 3 year actuarial survival rate by the response rate was $88.9\%\;and\;81.7\%$, respectively. There was no statistically significant survival difference between two groups. The crude rate of relapse at 3 years was $23.8\%$ (5/21), and $80\%$ (4/5) were locoregional failures. All failures were observed in biopsy only group, while no failure was observed in resected group. The major pattern of the treatment failure was the locoregional failure and the distant metastases was rarely observed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.844-848
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• 1985

Mediastinal tumors which are originated in mediastinum or probably metastasized from other organs have long fascinated the surgeon because of difficulty of diagnosis and treatment. This report is the analysis of the 26 cases of mediastinal tumors, experienced in the Department of the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chosun University Hospital from January 1978 to January 1985. The result are as follows; 1. The age distribution was 10 months to 68 years old and the average mean age was 34.7 years old. 2. Subjective symptom were as follows: Dyspnea [69.2%], Coughing [42.3%], Chest pain [30.8%], Back pain [15.4%] and Numbness of extremities [15.4%]. Objective signs were as follows: Decreased breathing sound [53.3%], Pleural effusion and hemothorax [34.6%], Palpable neck mass [34.6%], SVC Syndrome [19.4%] and Bloody sputum [15.4%]. But, there were no definitive symptoms in 2 cases. 3. The malignant tumors were 19 cases [73.1%]. 4. The germ cell tumors were 2 cases [7.7%], the neurogenic tumor were 3 cases [11.5%], lymphoma were 8 cases [30.8%], thymoma were 2 cases [7.7%], mesenchymal tumor was 1 case [3.8%], cyst was 1 case [3.8%] and carcinoma were 5 cases [19.2%] among the 23 cases, histologically analyzed. 5. The successful complete removal was done in 5 cases among 7 cases of benign tumors. In malignant cases, the surgical removal had been 7 cases and inoperable cases were treated to radiation and chemotherapy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.301-305
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• 1980

Myasthenia gravis is a disorder that affects neuromuscular transmission in a way that is still poorly understood. some think that myasthenia gravis results from a reduction of available acetylcholine receptors in neuromuscular junctions, consequent to some form of autoimmune injury. Surgical interest in this disease was first aroused in 1939 when Blalock observed that some patients with thymic tumors and myasthenia gravis improved following thymectomy. This report represents two cases of myasthenia gravis. The 14-year-old girl was admitted to Korea Universtiy Hospital with chief complaintment of bilateral ptosis, diplopia, swallowing difficulty, and mastication difficulty, which were relieved by administration of edrophonium (Tensilon) chloride, given intravenously. Myasthenica gravis was confirmed and thymectomy was given. After thymectomy, symptoms were relieved but the administration of neostigmine was contijued to be needed till following 3 months. After that period, she was free from this symptoms without anticholinesterase drugs. Second case is 57 year old male who has the symptoms of diplopia, bilatreal ptosis, walking disturbance, and speech difficulty. He had thymectomy too but in thymic tissue, malignant thymoma was included. He has subjective improvement only, with no major reduction of medication requirements after thymectomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1125-1132
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• 1991

Myasthenia gravis is a disorder of neuromuscular transmission which is characterized fatigue and weakness of the voluntary muscle. From 1985. 1 to 1991.6, 34 patients underwent managed including 12 patient thymectomy, at the kyunghee medical center. A clinical analysis was performed and following result was obtained. Among the 34 patients, male to female ratio was 11 : 23 and the age was ranged from 2 years to 63 years. Thymectomy was done in 12 case and 1 case of malignant thymoma was not resectable. There were 2 deaths after operation due to respiratory failure and 1 death dur to gradually progression. THe effect of thymectomy in mtasthenia graves was 66.7% (8cases). The prognostic factors were severity of the disease and histopathological findings. Others were not related to the prognosis of the mayasthenia gravis. The severity of the myasthenia gravis was classified by Osserman modified classification.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.292-298
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• 1984

Myasthenia 8ravis is a disorder of neuromuscular function due to a reduction of available acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction. Typically, the muscle weakness is worse after effort and improved by rest. In 1939, Blalock and associated reported a case of patient with myasthenia gravis who was successfully treated by thymectomy. Since then, operation has become increasingly important in the management of this disease. From 1968 to 1983, 10 cases of myasthenia gravis were operated at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery,College of Medicine, Seoul National University. 1.Among 10 cases, 4 were male and 6 were female. 2.Thymectomy was performed in 9 cases, and 1 case of malignant thymoma with deeply infiltration to adjacent structure was not resectable. 3.There was 1 operative mortality with respiratory failure. 4.During follow-up period, most of them showed symptomatic improvement, but complete remission was not noticed in any case.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.413-416
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• 1993

Extraskeletal osteogenic sarcoma is a rare malignant tumor of soft tissue, and its predilection sites are the extremity, retroperitoneum, trunk, and the head and neck area. To our knowledge 5 cases of primary involvement of the mediastinum have been reported. Because of its rarity and difficulty in exact diagnosis preoperatively, we report an extraskeletal osteogenic sarcoma in the anterior mediastinum. The patient was a thirty eight old male. He complained of cough and sputum over 2 months. The chest roentgenogram and the chest MRI[magnetic resonance image] were done and showed anterior mediastinal mass with calcification. Excision of the mass was done under the preoperative impression of thymoma, and the pathologic report was extraskeletal osteogenic sarcoma of the mediastinum.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.855-858
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• 1985

The mediastinoscopy was a well known useful diagnostic tool for detection of mediastinal lymph nodes invasion by bronchogenic carcinoma, and also useful means for histologic diagnosis of metastatic carcinoma and certain mediastinal tumors. 31 cases of mediastinoscopies were reviewed which were experienced at Kyung Hee University Hospital from July, 1979 to June, 1985. We experienced 20 cervical mediastinoscopies, 10 left anterior mediastinotomy, and 1 both procedures. Of the 31 cases, 22 cases were used for preoperative staging of bronchogenic carcinoma, 7 cases for mediastinal tumor diagnosis, and 2 cases for histologic diagnosis of metastatic carcinoma. In 22 mediastinoscopies which were used for preoperative staging, 10 cases were revealed positive mediastinal nodes, and could avoid meaningless thoracotomy. All 12 mediastinoscopy negative patients were received thoracotomy, and 10 of them were resectable. The resectability in bronchogenic carcinoma was 83%, on the contrary, the other series at premediastinoscopic era revealed only 65% resectability. Other mediastinal lesions such as tuberculous granuloma [4], sarcoidosis [2], malignant thymoma [1], and metastatic carcinoma [2] were also diagnosed successfully. Mediastinoscopy is very useful tool for determination of treating method of bronchogenic carcinoma, and for diagnosis of certain mediastinal tumors which, otherwise, need a thoracotomy for confirmatory diagnosis.