Klin Onkol 1995; 8(5): 155-156.
Summary: urgent thoracotomies are necessary in the first place for injuries of thorax. The others emergency thoracic events are infrequent. The authors report 3 cases of tumorous mediastinal masses in anterior mediastinum, where urgent operations were necessary for the quick growth of tumors and ventilatory problems. All tumors were lymphomas with the oppression of airways, ventilatory, insufficiency was not controlled with arteficial ventilation. After the midline sternotomy tumorous masses were reduced and airways were liberated, chemotherapy was started with good effect. The authors suppose that this approach is rational when the tumorous mediastinal masses with quick growth compress the airways.
