BACKGROUND: Rosai-Dorfman Disease (RDD) is a rare self-limiting histiocytosis, more prevalent in children and young adults. It typically manifests as painless bilateral massive cervical lymphadenopathy but may also extend to extra-nodal sites, with intrathoracic RDD noted in 2% of cases. Distinguishing mediastinal RDD from thymoma on imaging poses challenges, underscoring the reliance on pathological features and immunohistochemical staining for diagnosis.
METHODS: Patient, male, 33 years old, underwent lung a CT revealing an enlarged round soft tissue shadow in the anterior superior mediastinum, compared to a year ago. Surgical resection removed the entire mass, thymus, and part of the pericardium, confirming RDD on pathology. Genetic testing using second-generation testing technology identified a KRAS gene point mutation.
CONCLUSIONS: No established treatment protocol currently exists for this disease. However, as genetic mutation research progresses, a novel therapeutic avenue is emerging: targeted therapy integrated with surgical interventions.

Tracheomediastinal fistula is a rare but life-threatening complication of cancer. We report a case of tracheomediastinal fistula induced by concurrent chemoradiotherapy in limited stage small cell lung cancer. Despite the treatment response, the metastatic paratracheal lymph node increased gradually during concurrent chemoradiotherapy, resulting in the occurrence of tracheomediastinal fistula and mediastinitis. Without any surgical intervention, the patient achieved successful recovery from mediastinitis through antibiotic treatment, although the tracheomediastinal fistula remained open. In this report, we also review previous studies of tracheomediastinal and bronchomediastinal fistulas and summarize the clinical features.

BACKGROUND Fish bone ingestion is the most common cause of esophageal perforation (12%). However, it rarely causes esophageal perforation and mediastinal abscess. Most studies recommend surgical intervention for patients with esophageal perforation and thoracic abscess. However, surgery may not be suitable for extremely critical cases or may have limited effectiveness. In such cases, a combination of surgery and conservative treatment is crucial. The use of double cannula irrigation and drainage in conservative treatment has shown promising results in pus removal. CASE REPORT We report a 28-year-old man with a perforated esophagus with abscess and mediastinal abscess due to fish bone. Emergency surgery was performed after admission. Symptoms of septic shock developed after surgery, and a significant amount of pus was still present in the chest cavity and mediastinum. Conservative treatment was adopted, with double cannula irrigation and drainage. By employing anti-infection measures and continuous irrigation and drainage, the patient was cured after 42 days. CONCLUSIONS In this case, surgical intervention did not yield satisfactory results. However, after using double cannula irrigation and drainage to clear the thoracic and mediastinal abscesses, the patient\'s infection levels returned to normal. Additionally, the patient was successfully weaned off the ventilator, and the tracheotomy catheter was removed. After discharge, the patient resumed to normal life, without any significant complications during 1 year of follow-up. Double cannula drainage played a vital role in this patient\'s treatment; however, further clinical evidence is required to determine its suitability for other patients with esophageal perforation complicated by mediastinal abscess.

BACKGROUND: Descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) is a rare but severe mediastinal infection. If not diagnosed and treated promptly, the consequences can be very serious. Here, we shared a successful diagnosis and treatment case of DNM that originates from oral to neck and mediastinum caused by Streptococcus constellatus (S constellatus). S constellatus is a clinically uncommon gram-positive coccus and is known for its ability to form abscesses. Timely surgical drainage and the correct use of antibiotics are key to successful treatment.
METHODS: A 53-year-old male admitted to hospital with painful swelling of the right cheek, persistent oral pus and moderate fever lasting 1 week, followed by rapid development of a mediastinal abscess.
METHODS: He was diagnosed with DNM caused by S constellatus.
METHODS: On the evening of admission, an emergency tracheotomy and thoracoscopic exploration and drainage of the right mediastinum, floor of the mouth, parapharynx and neck abscess were performed. Antibiotics were administered immediately.
RESULTS: At 28 days post-operatively, the abscess was absorbed, bilateral lung exudate decreased and the patient temperature, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, bilirubin and platelets returned to normal. The patient was discharged after completing 4 weeks of antibiotic therapy. Follow-up at 3 months after discharge revealed no recurrence of the abscess.
CONCLUSIONS: Early surgical drainage and antibiotics treatment are important in mediastinal abscesses and infectious shock due to Streptococcus asteroids.

Spontaneous lesions can affect only a part of the esophageal wall (Mallory-Weiss syndrome) or constitute a full-thickness rupture of the organ, leading to Boerhaave syndrome. Most commonly affecting males between 50 and 70 years of age, Clinically, the Mackler triad is vomiting, severe chest pain, and subcutaneous cervical emphysema. The delay in diagnosis explains the high mortality rate of this pathology up to 40-60% in those treated at 48 hours. The prognosis improves if treatment is established within the first 24 hours.
Las lesiones espontáneas pueden afectar solo una parte de la pared esofágica (síndrome de Mallory-Weiss) o constituir una rotura de espesor total del órgano, dando lugar al síndrome de Boerhaave. Afecta con mayor frecuencia a los varones entre 50 y 70 años de edad. Clínicamente conforma la tríada de Mackler: vómito, dolor torácico intenso y enfisema subcutáneo cervical. El retraso en el diagnóstico explica su alta tasa de mortalidad, de hasta el 40-60% en los pacientes tratados a las 48 horas. El pronóstico mejora si se logra instaurar el tratamiento dentro de las primeras 24 horas.

Esophago-pericardial fistulae is a rare and dreaded entity. Most reported cases in the literature were described in association with advanced upper gastrointestinal malignancies, prior surgical procedures, and radiofrequency atrial fibrillation ablation. It has been rarely reported in association with benign esophageal conditions. Surgery had been the mainstay of treatment, but there are increasingly reported cases treated successfully with esophageal stenting and pericardial drainage. In this article, we report a novel case of an esophago-pericardial fistulae occurring as a sequela of esophageal stent placed for the management of Boerhaave syndrome.

Introduction: Boerhaave\'s syndrome is a life-threatening spontaneous perforation of the esophagus associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Historically, thoracotomy has been the mainstay of treatment, but is associated with high morbidity and pain. Minimally invasive approaches provide alternative treatment possibilities. This systematic review together with inclusion of a case series from a tertiary esophagogastric unit assesses current evidence focused on minimally invasive surgical management of this condition. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in line with MOOSE (Meta-analyses Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines. Electronic databases PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library were searched, and articles focusing on the minimally invasive management of Boerhaave\'s syndrome were identified and scrutinized. We also report demographics and outcomes for a consecutive case series of patients with acute Boerhaave\'s syndrome managed via thoracoscopy. Results: Fifteen studies were included comprising 5 retrospective cohort studies and 10 case reports. Management strategies were divided into three categories: thoracoscopic, endoscopic, and laparoscopic. Overall mortality rates for each treatment modality were 2%, 13%, and 33%, and treatment success rates 98%, 38%, and 67%, respectively. Postoperative infective complications were seen in 79% of patients, with only 2 patients requiring salvage thoracotomy. In our local case series, we report 4 consecutive patients managed with thoracoscopy, with a 100% treatment success rate. Conclusion: Minimally invasive approaches in the management of Boerhaave\'s syndrome are safe and effective. We propose a selective management algorithm involving a minimally invasive approach to management of this life-threatening condition. Registered with local clinical outcomes team as service evaluation. (Approval number sev/0171).

BACKGROUND: Boerhaave syndrome is a rare and life-threatening condition characterized by a spontaneous transmural tear of the oesophagus. There remains wide variation in the condition\'s management with non-operative management (NOM) and surgery being the two main treatment strategies. The aim was to review the presentation, management and outcomes for patients treated for Boerhaave syndrome at our institution and to compare these data with that previously reported within the Australasian literature.
METHODS: A retrospective case series was performed for consecutive patients diagnosed with Boerhaave syndrome at our institution between January 2000 and January 2020. A systematic review of the Australasian literature was also performed.
RESULTS: In case series, 15 patients were included (n = 2 NOM, n = 13 operative). The most common operative technique was primary repair with intercostal drainage via thoracotomy. Major complications occurred in 11 (73%) patients. Median Comprehensive Complication Index was 53.4 (interquartile range: 50). There was a significantly lower Comprehensive Complication Index associated with primary repair when compared to oesophageal resection (P = 0.01). There was one death, in the operative management group. Median length of hospital stay was 33 days (interquartile range: 58). In systematic review, 11 articles were included; four case series and seven case reports. From these, 23 patients met inclusion criteria. The majority of patients (83%) were managed operatively, with only four undergoing NOM. Seven patients died, representing an overall mortality rate of 30%.
CONCLUSIONS: We provide an updated overview of the management of Boerhaave syndrome within Australasia. Aggressive operative management is associated with reasonable outcomes.

The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the available evidence base on endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) combined with either endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) or endoscopic ultrasound using the EBUS scope-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-B-FNA) for diagnosing and staging mediastinal diseases. PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were searched to identify suitable studies up to June 30, 2019. Two investigators independently reviewed articles and extracted relevant data. Data were pooled using random effect models to calculate diagnostic indices that included sensitivity and specificity. Summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves were used to summarize the overall test performance. Data pooled from up to 16 eligible studies (including 10 studies of 963 patients about EBUS-TBNA with EUS-FNA and six studies of 815 patients with EUS-B-FNA) indicated that combining EBUS-TBNA with EUS-FNA was associated with slightly better diagnostic accuracy than combining it with EUS-B-FNA, in terms of sensitivity (0.87, 95%CI 0.83 to 0.90 vs. 0.84, 95%CI 0.80 to 0.88), specificity (1.00, 95%CI 0.99 to 1.00 vs. 0.96, 95%CI 0.93 to 0.97), diagnostic odds ratio (413.39, 95%CI 179.99 to 949.48 vs. 256.38, 95%CI 45.48 to 1445.32), and area under the SROC curve (0.99, 95%CI 0.97 to 1.00 vs. 0.97, 95%CI 0.92 to 1.00). The current evidence suggests that the combination of EBUS-TBNA with either EUS-FNA or EUS-B-FNA provides relatively high accuracy for diagnosing mediastinal diseases. The combination with EUS-FNA may be slightly better.

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) and transesophageal bronchoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-B-FNA) are established modalities for evaluation of mediastinal/hilar lymphadenopathy in adults. Limited literature is available on the utility of these modalities in the pediatric population. Herein, we perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on the yield and safety of EBUS-TBNA and EUS-B-FNA in children.
We performed a systematic search of the PubMed and EMBASE databases to extract the studies reporting the utilization of EBUS-TBNA/EUS-B-FNA in children (<18 years of age). The pooled diagnostic yield and sampling adequacy (proportions with 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) were calculated using meta-analysis of proportions using the random effects model. Details of any procedure-related complications were noted.
The search yielded 12 relevant studies (5 case series and 7 case reports on EBUS-TBNA/EUS-B-FNA, 173 patients). Data from five case series (164 patients) were summarized for the calculation of the sampling adequacy and diagnostic yield. Safety outcomes were extracted from all publications. The pooled sampling adequacy and combined diagnostic yield of EBUS TBNA/EUS-B-FNA were 98% (95% CI, 92%-100%) and 61% (95% CI, 43%-77%), respectively. A procedure-related major complication was reported in one patient (1/173, a major complication rate of 0.6%), and minor complications occurred in six patients (6/173, a minor complication rate of 3.5%).
EBUS-TBNA and EUS-B-FNA are safe modalities for evaluation of mediastinal lymphadenopathy in the pediatric population. EBUS-TBNA/EUS-B-FNA may be considered as the first-line diagnostic modalities for this indication, as they have a good diagnostic yield and can avoid the need for invasive diagnostic procedures.