The Clinical Application of Video Mediastinoscopy and CT in the N Staging of Preoperative Lung Cancer

Background and objective Preoperative lung cancer with mediastinal lymph nodes metastasis can be diagnosed by vedio mediastinoscopy (VM) and CT. This study was to explore the value of VM and CT in the diagnosis of N staging of preoperative lung cancer, and to discuss the difference between the 2 methods. Methods 48 cases diagnosed of lung cancer by CT or PET-CT were examined by VM. The sensitivity, specificity, validity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of VM and CT were speculated according to the postoperative pathological reports, and the difference between VM and CT in the diagnosis of lung cancer with mediastinal lymph nodes metastasis was discussed. Results ①Under the examination of VM, 31 patients with the negative outcome received the direct operation, 14 patients with N2 received 2 courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy before operation, 3 patients with N3 received chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. ②Forty-one cases with final diagnosis of lung cancer were used as samples to speculate the sensitivity, specificity, validity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of VM. They were 93.3%, 100%, 97.6%, 100%, 96.3%, which of CT were 66.7%, 53.8%, 58.5%, 45.5%, 73.7% (χ2=4.083, P=0.039), the difference between VM and CT was statistically significant. ③In this group, the complications of VM incidence rate is 2.08% (1/48), the case is pneumothorax. Conclusion VM is superior to CT in the diagnosis of N staging of preoperative lung cancer, it is safe and effective, and there will be a wide perspective for VM in thoracic surgery