An Analysis of Operated Mediastinal Cysts and Masses

Area of Science:

• Thoracic surgery
• Surgical oncology
• Diagnostic imaging

Background:

• Mediastinal cysts and masses require surgical intervention.
• Understanding clinical and histopathological characteristics is crucial for patient management.
• The impact of global health crises on surgical case presentation needs investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To classify surgical mediastinal cysts and masses by clinical, histopathological, and surgical types.
• To evaluate the influence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on these surgical cases.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 132 patients undergoing surgery for mediastinal cysts and masses.
• Data collected included demographics, clinical presentation, and histopathology.
• Comparison of surgical approaches, including video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), and pre- vs. post-COVID-19 pandemic periods.

Main Results:

• Lesions were incidentally detected in 42.4% of patients, most commonly in the anterior mediastinum (65.2%).
• Thymoma was the most frequent diagnosis (35.6%).
• Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) was preferred (27.3%), associated with shorter hospital stays (p=0.016).
• A significant increase in incidental mediastinal cyst and mass detection was observed post-COVID-19 pandemic (p=0.005).

Conclusions:

• The incidental detection rate of operated mediastinal cysts and masses increased following the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Further research is recommended to explore the pandemic's specific impact on mediastinal pathologies.