Ethiodized Oil Localization for Thoracoscopic Lung Nodule Resection in Children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Oncology
• Thoracic Surgery
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Pulmonary nodules in pediatric cancer patients often require surgical resection.
• Accurate localization of small nodules is crucial for successful thoracoscopic excisional biopsy.
• Minimally invasive techniques are preferred in pediatric surgical care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of CT-guided ethiodized oil marking for thoracoscopic excisional biopsies of pulmonary nodules in children with cancer.
• To assess the success rate and complication profile of this localization technique.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, single-center study of 30 pediatric cancer patients (36 procedures) undergoing thoracoscopic resection of pulmonary nodules.
• Preoperative localization using CT-guided ethiodized oil marking.
• Analysis of nodule characteristics, localization success, and adverse events.

Main Results:

• 52 pulmonary nodules (mean size 3.7 mm) were resected.
• Successful localization and removal of 98.1% of nodules using ethiodized oil.
• One case of localized ethiodized oil infiltration and mild pneumothorax in 9 patients; one required chest tube placement. No hemothorax or hematoma occurred.

Conclusions:

• CT-guided ethiodized oil marking is a safe and effective method for localizing small pulmonary nodules in pediatric cancer patients.
• The technique achieves high success rates for thoracoscopic resection.
• Complications are minimal, supporting its use in this population.