Efficacy of Mediastinoscopy in Patients With Isolated Mediastinal Lymphadenopathy.

Background: Since its introduction in 1959 by Carlens (1), Mediastinoscopy has been, for long, used for assessment of the mediastinum (superior and middle) for establishing a histological diagnosis of mediastinal masses of undefined cause, and for Lung carcinomas staging. The use of Mediastinoscopy has been decreasing lately due to the introduction of other less invasive techniques (e.g., endoscopic ultrasound-directed fine needle aspiration cytology), however, it is still a cheap and effective tool that can be utilized in underprivileged centers. Objective: To emphasize how does Mediastinoscopy plays an important role in confirming the clinical diagnosis of isolated mediastinal lymphadenopathy and reviewing its utility. Methods: These are a retrospective analysis of medical charts for patients who underwent diagnostic cervical mediastinoscopy during (2012 - 2018) at a University hospital in Saudi Arabia. The included patients are presented with an isolated mediastinal lymph node enlargement, in the absence of underlying cause and was found to be significant (>1cm in its short axis) by computed tomography. The patient who had a known cause (e.g., Sarcoidosis) or were diagnosed via other tools, was excluded. Results: Mediastinoscopy was performed on 56 patients, 38 of them were males (68%) and 18 females (32%), with a mean age of (37.5 ± 10 years). The patients' most common presenting symptoms were persistent cough (49%), fever of unknown origin (38%) and weight loss (36%) with an average of 2 symptoms per patient, while in 4 patients (7%) lymphadenopathy was discovered incidentally during the CT scan for other reasons. In addition, the histopathological examination of specimens obtained confirmed the most common diagnoses, Sarcoidosis in 17 patients (30%), lymphoma in 12 patients (21%) and TB in 10 patients (18%). The mean hospital stay (calculated from the day of the procedure) was (2.5 ± 4 days) including work up, with only one mortality (2%) and 3 patients (5%) had experienced post-operative complications. Conclusion: The diagnostic Mediastinoscopy is both safe and efficient in the diagnosis of patients with isolated mediastinal lymphadenopathy, requiring a minimal surgical setup and is considered cost-effective. Therefore, it is a valid choice of investigating such cases in other underprivileged centers, as it reaches a tissue-based diagnosis, while other techniques are used for staging purposes.

Giant Esophageal Leiomyoma: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges.

BACKGROUND Leiomyoma is a rare, benign, esophageal tumor that does not often measure >10 cm. Here, we report a case of giant esophageal leiomyoma in a 24-year-old man. CASE REPORT A 24-year-old man who smoked and had primary hypertension and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency presented with a history of shortness of breath and productive cough with yellowish sputum, a long history of dysphagia to solid food, and a weight loss of 7 kg over 2 months. A chest X-ray revealed a mediastinum with a width >8 cm. Computed tomography of the patient's chest revealed a multilobulated mass that originated from the upper and middle thoracic esophagus, caused severe narrowing of his esophageal lumen, and was compressing his trachea and right main bronchus. Resection of the tumor was performed and, because of the large defect after the surgery and the mucosal necrosis, the patient underwent an Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy. His postoperative course was uneventful. He had no symptoms when he was seen in the outpatient clinic for follow-up and fully recovered. CONCLUSIONS Giant esophageal leiomyoma (GEL) is a rare oncological entity that presents several diagnostic and therapeutic challenges because of the scarcity of information in the medical literature on surgical management. The descriptions of techniques for surgical resection of GEL do not include ways to effectively perform subsequent reconstruction. The aim of the present paper was to contribute to this scant information by reporting our experience with performing an Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy to manage a case of GEL.

Stress and psychological resilience among general surgery residents during COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic and its consequences on general surgery residents. Methods: Cross-sectional, survey based study including surgical residents in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kingdom of Bahrain. RESULTS: Surgical trainees who participated in our survey (n=234) were young (mean age 28), single (53.8%), and males (65.8%). Approximately half (50.4%) have been deployed to cover the staff shortage in intensive care units (ICUs) or emergency departments (EDs). Half of our trainees (117) scored positive in the screening tool of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). There was a significant association between experiencing anxiety and male gender (p=0.055), level of training (p=0.002), deployment to cover ICUs (p=0.050), testing positive for COVID-19 (p=0.054) and having an infected family member (p=0.004). CONCLUSION: Coronavirus-19 pandemic has a serious effect on all healthcare workers and surgical residents have experienced a considerable amount of stress. Accordingly, this psychological burden should be appropriately addressed in organizations planning strategies. We suggest formulating guidelines to help surgical trainees to continue their learning process with least psychological burden.

Sternoclavicular joint osteomyelitis; delayed bone resection with muscle flap: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Sternoclavicular joint (SCJ) osteomyelitis is a very rare condition. Here, we report an uncommon case of a complicated SCJ osteomyelitis in a patient with an anterior chest wall trauma. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 61-year-old male a known case of dyslipidemia, hypertension (HTN), and type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The patient presented with pain and erythema over the right SCJ following trauma to the same location. Two weeks later, the patient presented with erythematous swelling with a sinus discharging pus, although he was discharged on oral antibiotics, analgesics, and had underwent an incisional drainage. Computerized Tomography (CT) of the chest showed fluid collection surrounding the right SCJ together with joint effusion suggestive of SCJ osteomyelitis. The patient underwent initial debridement and a definitive bone resection with pectoralis muscle flap two weeks following. Five months later, the patient was seen in the outpatient clinic, the wound was completely healed, and he has a normal function of the right arm. DISCUSSION: The management of SCJ osteomyelitis is not well established, yet it can be approached medically, surgically, or both. CONCLUSION: Surgical intervention is indicated in cases of SCJ osteomyelitis after the failure of antibiotic therapy trial. This is especially the case in the presence of abscess and bone destruction. SCJ debridement followed by delayed resection and pectoralis muscle flap might offer better results than merely debridement alone or with resection of the joint.