Video-assisted thoracoscopic diagnosis and treatment for esophageal tuberculosis: A report of 8 cases / 中国微创外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the role of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal tuberculosis. Methods We had conducted video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and acute pathological examinations for diagnosing and treating esophageal tuberculosis in 8 patients from June 1996 to April 2004. Results All the 8 patents were clarified as having secondary esophageal tuberculosis (Six of them had been misdiagnosed as having esophageal tumors preoperatively). A lymphoidectomy was carried out in 5 patents and a focus debridement, in 3 patents. The duration of procedure was 30~50 min (mean, 45 min). The intraoperative blood loss was 50~100 ml (mean, 80 ml). Postoperatively, pleural effusion occurred in 2 patients and wound infection took place in 1. Follow-up for 5~27 months (mean, 15 months) in 7 patients revealed a remarkable relief of dysphagia and no recurrence. Conclusions VATS in combination with acute pathological examinations is a rapid, safe, accurate and minimally invasive alternative for the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal tuberculosis.