The value of parasternal mediastinoscopy in staging bronchial carcinoma.

Computed tomography (CT) is the non-invasive staging procedure of choice for assessment of metastasis to mediastinal lymph nodes in patients with bronchial carcinoma. Cervical mediastinoscopy can provide histologic evidence of mediastinal spread to the peritracheal, tracheobronchial and subcarinal lymph nodes. Sub-aortic and para-aortic nodes cannot be sampled via this route. The present study was performed to assess the staging value of the parasternal mediastinoscopy as a separate entity. Cervical and parasternal mediastinoscopy was performed in 37 patients with a proven diagnosis of non-small cell carcinoma of the left upper lobe. In 16 patients lymph node or tumor tissue could be biopsied via the parasternal route, in 21 patients no parasternal biopsy was taken. Of the 16 cases with biopsies, only one was positive (6%). Histologic examination of lymph node biopsy tissue was false negative in one other patient (6%). Of the 21 patients without biopsies taken during parasternal mediastinoscopy, three (14%) had proven lymphogenic spread to the subaortic and para-aortic nodes, detected at thoracotomy. The parasternal procedure changed treatment in only one patient (3%). Diagnostic sensitivity was 20%. It is concluded that parasternal mediastinoscopy should not be used as a routine staging procedure in patients with left upper lobe lung cancer.

Low dose subcutaneous heparin and wound hematoma formation in inguinal hernia operations--a double-blind randomized clinical trial.

Postoperative wound bleeding and wound hematoma formation were studied in a prospective double-blind randomized clinical trial in selected patients undergoing surgery for inguinal hernia. With careful surgical technique, prophylactic administration of low dose subcutaneous heparin did not result in a significant increase in wound hematoma formation or wound bleeding. The postoperative decrease in the hemoglobin concentration, resulting from operative and postoperative blood loss, was -0.59 mmol/l, +/- 0.54 SD, in the control group and -0.60 mmol/l, +/- 0.57 SD, in the heparin group.

Necrotic colitis in the presence of normal vascularization of the colon.

Necrotic colitis in the absence of organic obstruction of the mesenteric vessels is an extreme and fulminant form of ischemic colitis. This calamity with its high mortality rate usually occurs in patients with pre-existent cardiopathy. It is rare for necrotic colitis to occur as a complication of hypotension, hypovolemia or sepsis. A report is presented of a case of total gangrene of the colon in a patient with hemorrhagic shock. Certain concepts are presented concerning the etiology of non-occlusive intestinal infarction. It is postulated that the fulminant gangrene of the colon is co-induced by Gram-positive rods which are demonstrable even in the deep layers of the colonic wall.