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  • Title: Ambulatory mediastinal biopsy for hematologic malignancies.
    Author: Venuta F, Rendina EA, Pescarmona EO, de Giacomo T, Flaishman I, Guarino E, Ricci C.
    Journal: Eur J Cardiothorac Surg; 1997 Feb; 11(2):218-21. PubMed ID: 9080146.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVE: We retrospectively evaluated our experience with outpatient surgical biopsy of mediastinal lesions in patients with hematologic malignancies, its cost-effectiveness and ability to allow diagnosis. METHODS: Eighty patients underwent outpatient surgical biopsy of mediastinal lesions related to hematologic malignancies (50 cervical mediastinoscopies, 24 anterior mediastinotomies and six video-assisted thoracoscopies). Eight patients had a superior vena cava syndrome, five had lesions residuing or relapsing after chemo-radiotherapy and six and had been treated with steroids before diagnosis; in five cases the biopsy had been previously performed at other hospitals without achieving a positive diagnosis. RESULTS: Ambulatory mediastinal biopsy allowed diagnosis in all cases. Fifty-one patients had Hodgkin disease, 28 had non-Hodgkin lymphoma and one had chronic lymphatic leukemia. There was no operative mortality. Complications were: pneumothorax and bleeding during mediastinoscopy and wound infection after anterior mediastinotomy. CONCLUSIONS: Mediastinal biopsy can be safely performed on an outpatient basis in selected patients with mediastinal involvement due to hematologic malignancies. Costs were markedly reduced with respect to in-hospital procedures.
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