Surgical diagnosis and treatment of giant lymph node hyperplasia in the chest

Abstract

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics, imaging features, treatment and prognosis of giant lymph node hyperplasia in the chest. Methods The clinical data of 6 patients with giant lymph node hyperplasia treated in Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between November 2009 and November 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. The tumor location, CT findings, surgical results, pathological findings and prognosis were analyzed. Results All patients underwent surgical resection for giant lymph node hyperplasia which was proved by postoperative pathology. Among them, there were 4 cases of hyaline vascular variant, 1 case of plasma-cell variant and 1 case of mixed variant. Patients were followed up for 1 to 6 years, and none was lost in follow-up. All patients are still alive and free of disease. Conclusions Most giant lymph node hyperplasia in the chest is limited, which are easy to be misdiagnosed before operation. Comprehensive treatment based on operation is the main treatment. After complete resection and necessary postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the patient can be almost completely cured. Key words: Giant lymph node hyperplasia; Castleman’s disease; Hyaline vascular variant; Plasma-cell variant; Mixed variant