Mediastinal lymphography using non-ionic, water-soluble contrast medium.

To circumvent the "irritative" effects of oily contrast and the high permeability of ionic water contrast medium, we reexamined the usefulness of mediastinal lymphography in dogs and patients using non-ionic (low permeability) water soluble contrast. Despite better delineation of lymph channels and nodes by indirect (transcarinal bronchofiberscopy) and direct (nodal injection at thoracotomy) mediastinal lymphography, the problem of false positive and false negative imaging remains.