Mediastinoscopy

Mediastinoscopy is a procedure that allows visualization of the contents of the mediastinum, usually to obtain a biopsy, through a small incision made above the breastbone that creates a tunnel down to the pretracheal space, into which a mediastinoscope is inserted to view the mediastinal structures directly or through a video monitor. It is used to stage lymph nodes in people with lung cancer and to diagnose other conditions affecting the mediastinum, including sarcoidosis and lymphoma, and it provides access to lymph node levels 2, 4 and 7, with extended or alternative techniques such as parasternal mediastinotomy used to reach additional nodes.