INDICATIONS AND RESULTS OF ANTERIOR MEDIA STINOSCOPY IN THE DIAGNOSISOF TUMORS OF THE MEDIASTINUM

From January 1990 to December 1995 79 patients with mediastinal lesion s were seen for parasternal mediastinoscopy at the Ruhrlandklinik Esse n, Diagnosis was achieved in 91,1 %, In 7 cases (8,9 %) the diagnosis was not established, Six intraoperative complications occurred followi ng mediastinoscopy: minor bleeding in five instances from the internal mammary vessels and one significant bleeding by injuring the V. cava, Postoperative minor wound infections occurred in five patients, Two p neumothoraces had to be managed by chest tube drainage, One patient wi th metastatic lung cancer died of respiratory failure.