Background: 50% of lung cancer patients have mediastinal lymph node metastases. Proof of ipsilateral node (N2) or contralateral node (N3) involvement contraindictates surgery as primary treatment, ...but usually requires mediastinoscopy. EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) provides access to posterior mediastinal nodes and may therefore prevent mediastinoscopy and document surgically incurable disease. Aim: To verify the yield of EUS as a first-line diagnostic and staging modality in patients with suspected or proven lung cancer by CT and/or bronchoscopy. Methods: EUS-FNA was used as a first-line diagnostic and/or staging test in consecutive patients with suspected or proven lung cancer in whom CT showed mediastinal disease accessable for EUS-FNA. Results: 122 consecutive patients had disease that appeared amenable to EUS-FNA: 70 with suspected and 52 with proven lung cancer. Overall, EUS was attempted in 118 (97%) cases: 10 masses and 108 nodes (47% level 7 AP window; 32% level 5 subcarina; 15% levels 5 & 7; and 6% other node levels). There were no complications. A cytological diagnosis of cancer was obtained in 46/70 (69%) of suspected cancers. The yield for nodal staging was calculated on an “intent to stage” basis. Mediastinal node involvement was documented cytologically in 73/112 (60%) cases where staging was the aim: 37/112 (33%) N2 and 36/112 (32%) N3 nodes. See Table. Conclusions: 1) EUS has a high yield in patients with suspected or proven lung cancer with mediastinal disease by CT. 2) A cytological diagnosis of cancer is obtained in 2/3 patients with suspected cancer. 3) Cytological proof of mediastinal ipsilateral or contralateral disease is obtained in 2/3 patients.
One hundred and ninety one consecutive patients over 70 years of age (127 men and 64 women, average age 75.6 years) underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) between January ...1986 and February 1989. One hundred and sixty patients had severe angina (20 Class III and 140 Class IV), 72 patients had previous myocardial infarction, 36 of which were recent (less than 1 month), and 6 patients had previously undergone coronary bypass surgery. The coronary lesions affected one vessel in 67 patients and more than one vessel in 124 patients. The left ventricular ejection fraction was less than 50% in 15 patients. Angioplasty was attempted on 245 lesions (228 stenoses and 17 occlusions): 1 lesion in 141 patients, 2 lesions in 46 patients, 3 lesions in 4 patients, with a primary success rate of 81% in stenotic and 41% in occluded arteries. There were 9 deaths (4.7%) 6 of which occurred in patients with multivessel disease and unstable angina; there were 6 Q-wave infarctions (3.1%), 8 non Q-wave infarctions (4.2%) and 3 emergency coronary bypass operations (1.6%). The first 123 patients of this series were followed up for an average of 18.8 months (7 to 37 months). Follow-up of the 100 patients successfully dilated (4 lost to follow-up) showed that 55 remained improved (53 asymptomatic), 25 had recurrent angina after the initial improvement due to restenosis in 19, progression of coronary athero-sclerosis in 3, restenosis and an evolution of coronary atherosclerosis in 1 and a lesion which had been neglected in 2 cases.
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