Evaluation of mediastinal masses by endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration

OBJECTIVE

Interest has been growing in using endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration in the evaluation of mediastinal masses. The purpose of this study was to review the spectrum of mediastinal masses encountered using endoscopic ultrasound.

METHODS

We reviewed all cases of mediastinal masses examined by endoscopic ultrasound, with or without endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration, prospectively gathered from our electronic database from April 1995 to July 2000.

RESULTS

Of 1447 upper endoscopic ultrasound examinations, 33 (2.3%) involved a mediastinal mass. Sixty-one percent of the patients were male and the average age was 65 yr. Fifty-five percent of patients had dysphagia, 48 percent experienced weight loss, and only 12 percent were totally asymptomatic. Seventy-three percent had masses by chest CT. Sixty-seven percent were ultimately found to be malignant, 21 percent were solid benign lesions, and four were cystic. Only two lesions were resected. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration was used in 76 percent of all patients. The median survival of patients with malignant lesions was only 87 days.

CONCLUSIONS

Lesions of the deep mediastinum are often difficult to conclusively diagnose with nonendoscopic studies. Endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration can easily access this region to aid in the diagnosis and management of these lesions.

Spontaneous candida mediastinitis diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-guided, fine-needle aspiration

Candida mediastinitis is a rare clinical entity associated with high mortality and morbidity. It is emerging as an important clinical entity, probably due to increased recognition of candida as a significant pathogen in mediastinitis. Candida mediastinitis is usually associated with cardiothoracic surgery, esophageal perforation, and head and neck infections. Optimal therapy for candida mediastinitis remains undefined. Aggressive, combined surgical debridement and antifungal therapy appears to be the most effective of available therapies. We report a case of spontaneous candida mediastinitis diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-guided, fine-needle aspiration and successfully treated with oral antifungal therapy alone.

Evaluation of pancreas and other abdominal organs by colonoscopic ultrasound

We report a case where colonoscopic ultrasound was used to evaluate the pancreas. In this case the usual method of evaluating the body of the pancreas by upper gastrointestinal ultrasound was unsuccessful because of the presence of a large hiatal hernia. The other abdominal organs evaluated by colonoscopic ultrasound included the ileo-cecal valve, kidney, liver, spleen and prostate. To our knowledge this is the first case where ultrasonic colonoscope has been used to evaluate the body of the pancrease.