Technique of the transcervical-subxiphoid-videothoracoscopic maximal thymectomy.

Background: The aim of this study is to present the new technique of transcervical-subxiphoid-videothoracoscopic "maximal"thymectomy introduced by the authors of this study for myasthenia gravis.

Materials And Methods: Two hundred and sixteen patients with Osserman scores ranging from I-III were operated on from 1/9/2000 to 31/12/2006 for this study. The operation was performed through four incisions: a transverse 5-8 cm incision in the neck, a 4-6 cm subxiphoid incision and two 1 cm incisions for videothoracoscopic (VTS) ports.

Extended rethymectomy in the treatment of refractory myasthenia gravis: original video-assisted technique of resternotomy and results of the treatment in 21 patients.

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of extended rethymectomy in patients with myasthenia gravis. Additionally, an original technique of resternotomy is described. Extended rethymectomy was performed on 21 patients with refractory myastenic symptoms after a previous transsternal thymectomy.

Primary intrathoracic biphasic synovial sarcoma--a case report.

The authors present a rare case of a synovial sarcoma involving both pleural cavities in a 66-year old woman, confirmed by the t(X;18) translocation detected using the FISH method.

Hyperplasia of endocrine cells, tumorlets and atypical carcinoid of the lung--a case report.

The authors present an extremely rare case of endocrine cell hyperplasia, numerous tumorlets and atypical carcinoid situated in the left inferior pulmonary lobe of a 34-year old woman.

Safety for preoperative use of steroids for transsternal thymectomy in myasthenia gravis.

Objective: Effects of preoperative steroids on morbidity and mortality after transsternal thymectomy are analyzed.

Methods: There were 620 transsternal thymectomies for myasthenia gravis performed in the period 1973-2002. There were 547 patients with nonthymomatous myasthenia, including 17 patients submitted to repeated thymectomy (rethymectomy) and 46 patients with thymoma.