• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.883-886
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• 2001

Mediastinal fibrosis is uncommon but may result in entrapment and erosion of vital mediastinal structures by fibrous tissues. Idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis involved esophagus is very rare, and only a few cases have ever been reported. Such idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis involved esophagus is an enigmatic inflammatory fibrous tissue proliferation, but the treatment has not yet been clearly defined. We had successfully treated in such a case with partial esophagolysis and esophagomyotomy.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.935-941
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• 1997

Mediastinal fibrosis is pathologically characterized by chronic inflammation and fibrosis of mediastinal soft tissue. Mediastinal fibrosis is local expression of a family of systemic fibrosing syndroms. This can result in compression of adjacent mediastinal structures. Idiopathic fibrosing syndromes include retroperitoneal fibrosis, sclerosing cholangitis of the orbit and fibrosis of the thyroid gland(Riedel's struma). The cause of these disorders is obscure, in some instance there is an underlying malignancy, infection, history of drug ingestion, or trauma with retroperitoneal bleeding. Treatment of mediastinal fibrosis depends on structures involved by the fibrotic process. The disease is self limited in most case or improved by steroids uses. We experienced a case of idopathic sclerosing mediastinitis with orbital fibrous dysplasia of unknowm cause, which was confirmed by open lung biopsy, so reported it with a review of literature.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.373-378
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• 2001

An idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis is a rare disease with an unknown etiology. It is a benign condition in which a fibrosis of the soft tissue and chronic inflammation occurs within the mediastinum. This leads to a constriction and obliteration of the adjacent mediastinal structures, particularly the great veins. This can result in a variety of clinical conditions depending on the anatomic location of the disease. Here, we report a case of an idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis with vocal cord palsy, which was confirmed by a biopsy with a thoracotomy. Postoperative medical treatment using prednisolone and tranilast was performed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.113-117
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• 2003

Idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis is very rare. We report two cases of a 41-year-old man and 65-year-old man who presented with backache and vocal cord palsy, subsequently confirmed to be idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis. Preoperative chest computed tomography showed a mediastinal mass and thoracoscopic biopsy was preformed. The mass was hard, dense and partially calcified, and adhered the adjacent mediastinal structure. Postoperative medical treatment was not performed, and during 5 and 7 month follow-up has not demonstrated any complication.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.140-144
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• 1979

This is a report of a case of superior vena caval syndrome due to idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis, which was surgically treated. The patient was 35-year-old Korean male who progressively complained shortness of breath about for 40 days prior to operation. Phlebogram of SVC showed indentation of SVC at the site of cavoatrial junction. The operation was performed under impression of bronchogenic cancer of right hilum. After thoracotomy, it was found a irregular mass in the mediastinum at the level of cavoatrial junction, which was developed to surrounding with SVC, pericardium, trachea and bronchus and they fixed together to immobile. Bypass graft between SVC and right atrial appendage was performed using a pericardial roll tube This is a report of a case of superior vena caval syndrome due to idiopathic mediastinal fibrosis, which was surgically treated. The patient was 35-year-old Korean male who progressively complained shortness of breath about for 40 days prior to operation. Phlebogram of SVC showed indentation of SVC at the site of cavoatrial junction. The operation was performed under impression of bronchogenic cancer of right hilum. After thoracotomy, it was found a irregular mass in the mediastinum at the level of cavoatrial junction, which was developed to surrounding with SVC, pericardium, trachea and bronchus and they fixed together to immobile. Bypass graft between SVC and right atrial appendage was performed using a pericardial roll tube [$1.3{\times}5$ cm]. After that SVC was decompressed very well. SVC pressure was markedly reduced from 32 cm $H_2O$ in preoperative to 21 cm $H_2O$in postoperative. Mediastinal fibrosis was confirmed by histopathological examination postoperatively. The postoperative course was uneventful.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.9
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• pp.703-706
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• 2003

Postpneumonectomy syndrome is a rare condition characterized by dyspnea due to an extreme mediastinal shift and bronchial compression of the residual lung after a right pneumonectomy or a left pneumonectomy with the right aortic arch, Severe fibrosis of the lung such as tuberculsosis (TB) - destroyed lung can cause similar clinical features in the absence of pneumonectomy. We report a unique case of postpneumonectomy syndrome without pneumonectomy, which was successfully treated with pneumonectomy and mediastinal repositioning with tissue expanders.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.839-844
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• 1989

There appears to be significant problems remained in the treatment of tuberculous empyema with BPF in spite of several surgical methods: decortication, thoracoplasty, and pleuropneumonectomy. We presented one case of tuberculous empyema with BPF. The patient was 42-year-old male and his chief complaint was hemoptysis. In past history, he was treated with left closed thoracostomy and antituberculous medication for two months, 16 years ago. Chest X-ray, tomogram and C. T, revealed a huge mass with central necrosis in the lower 2/3 of left thoracic cavity and shifting of the mediastinal structure to the right. Needle aspiration cytology was undifferentiated large cell carcinoma. Left thoracotomy was made under the impression of lung cancer and pleuropneumonectomy was done. Operative findings; thick walled empyema sac filled with hematoma and BPF, the mediastinum was fixated due to fibrosis and calcification of the pleura and the mediastinum. Postoperative biopsy was consistent with tuberculosis. In the postoperative course, there was massive hemorrhage and so reoperation was done. But there was no active bleeding focuses in the thoracic cavity at the time of reoperation. Massive transfusion, coagulant therapy and intermittent clamping and declamping of the chest tube were carried out. Especially, serum calcium level was chronically decreased and so large amount of calcium gluconate was infused for the calcium level to be normal. Total transfused blood; whole blood was 33 pints, packed cell was 63 pints and fresh frozen plasma was 70 pints. At the postoperative[reop] 45th day, intrathoracic hemorrhage was stopped and the chest tube was removed. In conclusion, this suggest that uncontrollable bleeding after pleuropneumonectomy of the tuberculous empyema with BPF could be treated without reoperation in case of the mediastinal fixation due to fibrosis and calcification of the pleura and the mediastinum.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.345-352
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• 1993

The role of magnetic resonance(MR) imaging in the evaluation of thoracic disease has been limited Nontheless, MR has inherent properties of better contrast resolution than CT allowing tissue-specific diagnosis. MR has capability of direct imaging in sagittal, coronal, and oblique planes which provide better anatomic information than axial images of CT such as lesions in the pulmonary apex, aorticopulmonary window, peridiaphragmatic region, and subcarinal region. MR is sensitive to blood flow making it an ideal imaging modality for the evaluation of cardiovascular system of the thorax without the need for intravenous contrast media. Technical developments and better control of motion artifacts have resulted in improved image quality, and clinical applications of MR imaging in thoracic diseases have been expanded. Although MR imaging is considered as a problem-solving tool in patients with equivocal CT findings, MR should be used as the primary imaging modality in the following situations: 1) Evaluation of the cardiovascular abnormalities of the thorax 2) Evaluation of the superior sulcus tumors 3) Evaluation of the chest wall invasion or mediastinal invasion by tumor 4) Evaluation of the posterior mediastinal mass, especially neurogenic tumor 5) Differentiation of fibrosis and residual or recurrent tumor, especially in lymphoma 6) Evaluation of brachial plexopathy With technical developments and fast scan capabilities, clinical indications for MR imaging in thorax will increase in the area of pulmonary parenchymal and pulmonary vascular imaging.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.278-282
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• 2002

A 68-year-old woman was admitted after suffering facial edema with neck vein engorgement for approximately 2 months. A chest X-ray showed a mild widening of the superior mediastinum and a luminal obliteration of the superior vena cava(SVC) was noted on a computed tomograph. Venography showed that both subclavian veins were obstructed at the level of the proximal clavicle with a nonvisualization of the SVC. The SVC, both the innominate and the left internal jugular veins were completely obstructed with extensive cord-like fibrotic changes despite the absence of mediastinal involvement. The microscopic features showed a chronic granulomatous inflammation with a fibrosis minimally invading the mediastinal fat, which is consistent with fibrosing mediastinitis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.83 no.3
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• pp.744-749
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• 2022

Fibrosing mediastinitis is a rare benign disorder characterized by the proliferation of dense fibrous tissue within the mediastinum. It typically manifests as localized or infiltrative soft-tissue masses in the middle mediastinum or hilar area, which cause compression and encasement of adjacent mediastinal structures, such as the vessels or airway. Here, we report a rare case of fibrosing mediastinitis in a 13-year-old girl that presented as a middle mediastinal mass lesion on CT scan with obliterating left lower lobar bronchus. The patient's symptoms and follow-up chest CT showed significant improvement following systemic corticosteroid treatment. As fibrosing mediastinitis can improve with systemic steroid therapy, radiologists must be aware of its radiologic findings when discriminating between infiltrating soft tissue lesions in the mediastinum.