A simplified approach for anaesthetic management of diagnostic procedures in children with anterior mediastinal mass.

Introduction: Children with an anterior mediastinal mass (AMM) need general anaesthesia (GA) or deep sedation for diagnostic procedures more often than adult patients. Anaesthetic management to prevent such complications includes maintenance of spontaneous ventilation (SV) and prebiopsy corticosteroids/radiotherapy.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of children with AMM who were brought to the operating theatre for diagnostic procedures (prior to chemotherapy) between 2001 and 2013.