[How useful is mediastinoscopy today?]

The present retrospective study evaluates 197 mediastinoscopies, performed between 1981 and 1990. The aim of the study was an actual evaluation of mediastinoscopy as an investigation for diagnosis and staging of intrathoracic diseases. Although the introduction of CT-scanning has caused a considerable decrease in the number of performed mediastinoscopies per year, we find that mediastinoscopy because of its high sensitivity (75%) and specificity (100%) still has an important place in the evaluation of intrathoracic diseases. It represents no alternative to CT, but a complementary diagnostic tool. As a conclusion four indications for mediastinoscopy today are proposed.