[Value and current role of anterior mediastinotomy in the diagnosis of mediastinal diseases. Apropos of a series of 100 cases].

One hundred anterior mediastinotomies performed between 1981 and 1987 resulted in the diagnosis of 90 malignant mediastino-hilar or anterior mediastinal tumours, 4 benign lymph node diseases and 6 non-specific lesions. This easy to perform biopsy technique was followed by low morbidity (7%) and one death after 48 hours due to major mediastinal compression. Its sensitivity and specificity make it a valuable alternative and, according to the authors, preferable to mediastinoscopy in the diagnosis of tumours of lymph node diseases in the anterior, pulmonary hila, especially on the left side, and anterior mediastinal lymph node chains.