Anterior bronchogenic mediastinal cyst as priority procedure for robotic thoracic surgery

Management of a Unique Subcarinal Bronchogenic Cyst with Robotic-Assisted Thoracic Surgery

A bronchogenic cyst (BC), although a rare congenital abnormality, represents the most common cystic lesion in the mediastinum and can present with chest pain and shortness of breath, especially due to compression of adjacent vital structures. The most common diagnostic modalities used are computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These cysts may elude even a seasoned clinician unless they become symptomatic. For clinicians attempting to give optimum and prompt management for these cysts, robotic-assisted surgical resection is the recommended treatment of choice. Robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) offers precision and enhanced visualization, making it a safe and accurate approach for the removal of posterior mediastinal BCs. Our patient is a 65-year-old female who presented with symptomatic posterior mediastinal subcarinal BCs and underwent complete surgical resection with RATS. The diagnosis was confirmed with histopathology. Advancements and the clinical impact of RATS for mediastinal BCs including the Da Vinci robotic surgeries have been demonstrated to be minimally invasive, safe, and feasible especially when in difficult-to-reach areas. RATS has also proven to be advantageous in reducing disease burden and improving patient outcomes.

Bronchogenic cysts: a narrative review

Background and Objective

Bronchogenic cysts represent a rare form of cystic malformation of the respiratory tract. Primarily located in the mediastinum if occurring early in gestation as opposed to the thoracic cavity if arising later in development. However, they can arise from any site along the foregut. They exhibit a variety of clinical and radiologic presentations, representing a diagnostic challenge, especially in areas with endemic hydatid disease. Endoscopic drainage has emerged as a diagnostic and potentially therapeutic option but has been complicated by reports of infection. Surgical excision remains the standard of care allowing for symptomatic resolution and definitive diagnosis via pathologic examination; minimally invasive approaches such as robotic and thoracoscopic approaches aiding treatment. Following complete resection, prognosis is excellent with essentially no recurrence.

Methods

A review of the available electronic literature was performed from 1975 through 2022, using PubMed and Google Scholar, with an emphasis on more recent series. We included all retrospective series and case reports. A single author identified the studies, and all authors reviewed the selection until there was a consensus on which studies to include.

Key Content and Findings

The literature consisted of relatively small series, mixed between adult and pediatric patients, and the consensus remains that all symptomatic lesions should be excised via minimally invasive approach where feasible.

Conclusions

Surgical excision of symptomatic bronchogenic cysts remains the gold standard, with endoscopic drainage being reserved for diagnosis or as a temporizing measure in clinically unstable patients.

Bronchogenic cysts mimicking thymoma in the anterior mediastinum

Bronchogenic cysts are commonly located in the middle mediastinal compartment as fluid-filled cysts and thymoma is one of the most common neoplasms in the anterior mediastinum in adult cases. For two cases of asymptomatic, incidentally discovered anterior mediastinal soft tissue mass in adults, we planned to perform complete thymectomy with minimally invasive techniques based on the guidelines of International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group. Their pathological finding revealed cystic lesions lined by ciliated epithelium and this supported the diagnosis of bronchogenic cyst rather than thymic neoplasm. We report the two cases of resected bronchogenic cysts which were in the unusual location of anterior mediastinum with uncommon radiological feature.