Mediastinal Masses on CXR

Mediastinal Masses on CXR

Anterior mediastinal masses:

• teratoma

• thymoma

• thymolipoma

• thymic cancer

• thymic carcinoid

• thymic cyst

• thymic hyperplasia

• thoracic thyroid

• terrible lymphoma

Middle Mediastinal masses:

• • Vascular tumors (aortic aneurysm)

  • Lymph node enlargement or metastases

  • Pleuropericardial cyst

  • bronchial carcinoma

  • Bronchogenic cysts

  • Sarcoidosis

  • TB

Posterior mediastinal masses:

• Hodgkin's lymphoma

• NHL

• neurogenic tumors

• bronchial cysts

• enterogenic cysts

• abscess

• pericardial cysts

• plasmacytoma.

• germ cell tumor

CXR showing mediastinal lymphadenopathy.

• CT scanning is the most pertinent imaging technique for evaluating mediastinal masses.

• Structures in the anterior mediastinum: thymus, ant. mediastinal LN, and the internal mammary arteries and veins.

• Structures in the middle mediastinum: heart, ascending and transverse arches of the aorta, the venae cava, the brachiocephalic arteries and veins, the phrenic nerves, the trachea, main bronchi, their contiguous lymph nodes, and the pulmonary arteries and veins.

• Structures in the posterior mediastinum: descending thoracic aorta, esophagus, thoracic duct, azygous and hemiazygous veins, and the posterior group of mediastinal lymph nodes