Background: Malignant tracheal stenosis (MTS) is a rare, life-threatening condition caused by primary tracheal tumor, mainly adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and more rarely other primary neoplasms such as lymphomas, or local extension/metastasis from adjacent malignancies (thyroid, esophageal, lung, or mediastinal cancers). Accounting for <0.1% of respiratory tumors, MTS presents with progressive respiratory failure, requiring urgent multidisciplinary care involving thoracic surgery, interventional pulmonology, oncology, and intensive care. Diagnosis relies on clinical evaluation, advanced imaging and endoscopy. Bronchoscopy (BC) remains the best investigation for direct visualization and biopsy or performing therapeutic maneuvers. Prognosis depends on histology, local extent, and achieving R0 resection. Tracheal resection with primary anastomosis remains the curative standard for resectable cases. Interventional procedures (debulking, laser, cryotherapy, stenting) are essential for palliative management and acute stabilization. Methods: A structured (non-systematic) search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science (1965–2025) was performed using MeSH/Emtree terms and free-text keywords. Studies were included if they evaluated adult patients with malignant central airway stenosis, primary tracheal tumors, or secondary invasion undergoing surgical, bronchoscopic, or multimodal interventions, including ECMO support. Results: Malignant tracheal stenosis (MTS)—predominantly adenoid cystic and squamous cell carcinomas—imposes a critical clinical burden despite its low incidence. Complete surgical resection with negative margins remains the curative treatment for resectable disease. In unresectable cases, multimodal palliative interventions (stenting, laser/electrocautery ablation, and mechanical debulking) provide rapid airway restoration and quality-of-life improvements, whereas ECMO is an established rescue or adjunctive support strategy in selected critical airway procedures performed in experienced centers. Three-dimensional bioprinting and tissue-engineered reconstruction remain experimental or early clinical, and bioresorbable stents and artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools remain investigational; none is currently part of routine MTS management. Conclusions: R0 resection for appropriately selected resectable disease and interventional airway management for unresectable symptomatic disease are the best-supported strategies, although the evidence derives mainly from retrospective series from specialized centers. Emerging technologies require prospective validation before clinical adoption. Management should be individualized, multidisciplinary and centralized in experienced airway centers.

Introduction: Mediastinal lymphangiomas are rare, benign vascular malformations of the lymphatic system that are seldom diagnosed in adults. Due to their varied clinical presentation and heterogeneous imaging characteristics, they pose a significant preoperative diagnostic challenge, frequently mimicking other mediastinal masses. Materials and Methods: We conducted a thorough search of the PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and Google Scholar databases. We included articles from 2000 to 2026. Our search yielded 150 articles, out of which we selected 45 articles. Inclusion criteria were strictly limited to adult patients with a solitary mediastinal lymphangioma. Cases involving diffuse systemic lymphangiomatosis, mixed histological features such as lymphangiomyomas or hemangiolymphangioma or studies on pediatric populations were explicitly excluded from the analysis. We also reported a case of mediastinal lymphangioma in a 42-year-old patient, which was surgically resected at the “Marius Nasta” National Institute of Pneumology in Bucharest, Romania. Case Description: An asymptomatic 42-year-old male presenting with exertional chest discomfort following minor trauma demonstrated a lower left hemithorax opacity on chest X-ray. Imagistic studies revealed a 13 × 9 × 6 cm cystic mass in the left supradiaphragmatic costophrenic recess. The patient underwent a complete radical excision. The postoperative recovery was uneventful. Histopathology confirmed a benign cystic mediastinal lymphangioma. Conclusions: Adult mediastinal lymphangiomas are rare entities that require a high index of clinical suspicion. While advanced cross-sectional imaging is invaluable for delineating their characteristics, definitive diagnosis relies on histopathological confirmation. Complete surgical resection, increasingly performed via minimally invasive approaches or standard thoracotomy, remains the therapeutic gold standard, offering an excellent long-term prognosis with virtually no risk of recurrence. For inoperable cases, several non-surgical approaches are available.

Background/Objectives: Sleeve lobectomy serves as a parenchyma-sparing alternative to pneumonectomy for central non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study describes and compares early postoperative outcomes and overall survival between sleeve lobectomy and pneumonectomy and explores factors associated with survival. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted on 97 consecutive patients with central NSCLC operated at the Marius Nasta National Institute of Pneumophthisiology between September 2021 and December 2022, with follow-up through 1 March 2025. Patients were divided into two groups: sleeve lobectomy (n = 41) and pneumonectomy (n = 56). Early morbidity, mortality, and overall survival were evaluated using univariate analysis and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: After multivariable adjustment, surgical procedure was not significantly associated with overall survival. A low rate of major anastomotic complications was observed in the sleeve lobectomy group, with one case of early partial anastomotic leak (2.44%) requiring surgical reinforcement. In an exploratory multivariable model, pathological nodal involvement and the number of involved lymph nodes were associated with mortality. Conclusions: In appropriately selected patients where an R0 parenchyma-sparing resection is technically feasible, sleeve lobectomy is associated with acceptable morbidity and survival. After adjustment, the surgical procedure was not significantly associated with overall survival. Nodal disease burden was the factor most strongly associated with survival in this cohort.