Mediastinoscopy is a procedure in which a lighted instrument (mediastinoscope) is inserted through a neck incision to visually examine the structures in the chest cavity. Tissue samples are taken, usually of the lymph nodes, by the mediastinoscope. This procedure is used in diagnosing a variety of diseases when other tests such as sputum cytology, lung scans, radiography, and bronchoscopic biopsies do not indicate a diagnosis.

Review Date: 12/5/2001 12:00:00 AM Reviewed By:A.D.A.M. Medical Illustration Team

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