[Benign mediastinal hemangiomas]. / Hémangiomes bénins du médiastin.

Haemangiomas represent a very rare form of primary mediastinal tumour. Their benign character, though rare, should not allow one to forget that their excision is correct, though sometimes tricky on account of their special anatomic situation. Two new observations are reported here as evidence of this difficulty. The prognosis, save for a few exceptional cases of local recurrence as in one of the cases sighted here is always good.

[Refractory hypoxemia caused by transient opening of the foramen ovale after pneumonectomy]. / Hypoxémie réfractaire par ouverture transitoire du foramen ovale après pneumonectomie.

A patient with bronchogenic cancer underwent right pneumonectomy. Surgical and infectious criteria were normal during the postoperative period when immediate postoperative severe hypoxeamia occurred. Pure oxygen only incompletely corrected the situation. Transoesophageal echocardiography with injection of microbulles for contrast imaging demonstrated a right-left shunt due to an open foramen ovale. Reopening the foramen ovale is rare but well documented complication of pneumonectomy. The pathogenics is still debated since hyperpressure in the right atria usually is not present. Echocardiography with contrast test is the best means of making the diagnosis.

[Isolated cystic lymphangioma in the mediastinum]. / Lymphangiomes kystiques isolés du médiastin.

Cystic lymphangioma localized only in the mediastinum is a rare type of primitive tumour (less than 1% of the mediastinum primitive tumours). These three new observations concern lymphangiomas with an anterior position ; therir anatomical connections with the lymphatic system are difficult to show. Treated by surgery these benign tumours have a good prognosis and only a few cases of local recurrences have been reported.