In this study diagnostic operative procedures were retrospectively analyzed in patients who had undiagnosed intrathoracic lesions. Between 1992 to 2004, 225 patients underwent a diagnostic operative procedure in the thoracic surgery department of Gülhane Military Medical Academy. The charts of the patients were retrospectively analyzed according to the parameters of gender, age, preoperative clinical findings, and radiological location of lesion, previous diagnostic procedure, postoperative diagnosis, treatment modality, morbidity and mortality. Diagnostic operative procedure was performed on 252 patients (162 male and 63 female). The mean age was 32.59 years (range 8-76 years). The main complaints were dyspnea (37.78%), chest pain (27.56%) and back pain (10.67%). Fifty six patients (24.88%) were asymptomatic. A thoracotomy was performed in 73.33% of the patients and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was used in 30.22% of the patients. No morbidity and mortality were encountered. Diagnostic operative procedures can be used safely with acceptable morbidity and mortality in patients who had undiagnosed intrathoracic lesions.
Keywords: Diagnosis, thoracotomy, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery
