[Diagnosis and surgical treatment for mediastinal hemangioma and lymphangioma].

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To review the experience of diagnosis and surgical treatment of the primary mediastinal hemangioma and lymphangioma. METHODS: We summarized the medical records of patients with primary mediastinal hemangioma or lymphangioma at our hospital from January 1998 to January 2009, then extracted relevant clinical data and carried out the retrospective analysis. RESULTS: There were 11 patients in the whole group. The age range was 4 - 78 years old (average 38.9). Six patients were symptom-free and most patients had not an accurate preoperative diagnosis. All patients underwent surgical procedures. The radical excision was accomplished in 10 cases and incomplete excision in 1 case. Two cases of surgically related complications were observed. All the cases were diagnosed by postoperative histopathological examination. There were hemangioma (n = 5), lymphangioma (n = 3) and hematolymphangioma (n = 3). CONCLUSIONS: The operation should be performed once the diagnosis of hemangioma or lymphangioma is made. Radical excision should be performed to prevent a post-operative recurrence.