Videothoracoscopic excision of mediastinal masses

From September '91 to April '94 22 mediastinal masses (6 thymomas, 2 thymic cysts, 2 thymic hyperplasias, one of them with myasthenia, 1 fibrous tumour of the mediastinum, 2 pleuropericardial cysts, 3 thoracic dysembriomas, 2 large thoracic lipomas, 4 neurogenic tumours) were removed through a minimally invasive approach. Mediastinal masses are generally excised through wide thorawtomies or median sternotomies. They are often benign, usually asymptomatic, diswvered incidentally and relatively easy to resect. for these reasons a minimally invasive approach is appropriate. The patients had an uneventful post-operative course except for two who developed haemorrhage in the immediate postoperative period: in both cases a re-thoracoswpy allowed to solve the problem.