[Value of intraoperative cytology in thoracic surgery].

Cytological investigations are established in thoracic surgery beside intraoperative histological examinations. We use these intraoperative cytological investigations as an additional diagnostic option for surgical decisions at our hospital for more than 15 years. 1008 intraoperative cytological findings were compared with the final histological results in a retrospective study to investigate the security of these cytological findings.

Empyema after pneumonectomy--empyema window or thoracoplasty?

369 pneumonectomies carried out within the years 1981 to 1988 and their empyema complications form the basis for a retrospective analysis to assess the outcome of treating pneumonectomy cavity empyema by window healing. During the same period 31 empyema after 322 pneumonectomies to treat bronchial carcinoma are investigated in more detail as far as their therapeutic modalities are concerned. 20 patients received a thoracic window.

[Bifurcated resection in the surgical treatment of central non-small cell T3 carcinoma].

Reported in this paper is experience obtained since 1978 from surgical removal of the tracheal bifurcation in combination with pneumonectomy in 38 cases. Squamous cell carcinoma centrally growing from the upper lobe was recorded from 24 patients to whom 36 interventions had been applied for bronchial carcinoma. 50 per cent of all operations in conjunction with pneumonectomy were performed on patients in the pT3NOMO stage.

[Regional metastasis of bronchial cancer and therapeutic consequences. A contribution to the problem of the prognostic effectiveness of lymphadenectomy].

In 1003 patients suffering from bronchial carcinoma the authors examined the type of lymph node spread. Radical lymph nodeectomy takes 30 to 60 minutes more without increasing the survival time, only the rate of regional metastases is diminished. The fate of the patient is dependent on the spread of haemotogenous micrometastases.