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Published on: January 17, 2011
Cervical approach to the thoracic inlet in paediatric patients with broncho-pulmonary foregut malformations
Stephen Bennett1, Edward Hannon, Bruce Okoye
1Department of Paediatric Surgery, St George's Hospital, SW17 0QT Tooting, London.
Insights
Surgical management of thoracic inlet lesions in children can be achieved via a cervical approach for benign conditions like bronchogenic cysts and esophageal duplications. This method avoids more invasive thoracotomies, offering a safe alternative.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Thoracic Surgery
- Surgical Oncology
Background:
- Thoracic inlet lesions pose surgical challenges due to difficult access and proximity to vital neurovascular structures.
- Benign conditions such as bronchogenic cysts and esophageal duplications can occur in the thoracic inlet.
- Traditional surgical approaches may involve invasive procedures like modified thoracotomies.
Abstract:
Lesions of the thoracic inlet present a significant challenge to the surgeon due to the difficulty of access and proximity to important neurovascular structures within the region. We describe two cases of benign disease of the thoracic inlet in children, one bronchogenic cyst and an esophageal duplication, and report the cervical approach used to manage them. Both lesions extended from the neck through the thoracic inlet, but demonstrate how benign lesions in this area can be delivered up into a cervical incision, negating the need for the more invasive modified thoracotomies. A cervical approach can be safely and successfully used to approach benign pathology, such as bronchogenic cysts and oesophageal duplications of the thoracic inlet. Careful multidisciplinary planning is required for such procedures.
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