Health Encyclopedia

Mediastinal tumor

Definition

Mediastinal tumors are growths that form in the area that separates the lungs. This area contains the heart, large blood vessels, windpipe (trachea), thymus gland, and connective tissues.

Alternative Names

Thymoma - mediastinal; Lymphoma - mediastinal

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

The mediastinum is the part of the chest that lies between the sternum and the spinal column, and between the lungs. It contains the esophagus, trachea, heart, and other important structures. The mediastinum is divided into three sections:

Anterior (front)
Middle
Posterior (back)

Mediastinal tumors are rare.

The most common location for tumors in the mediastinum depends on the age of the patient. In children, tumors are more common in the posterior mediastinum. These tumors often begin in the nerves and are non-cancerous (benign).

Most mediastinal tumors in adults occur in the anterior mediastinum and are usually cancerous (malignant) lymphomas or thymomas. These tumors are most common in people ages 30 - 50.

Symptoms

Almost half of mediastinal tumors cause no symptoms and are found on a chest x-ray performed for another reason. Symptoms that do occur are due to pressure on (compression of) local structures and may include:

Chest pain
Chills
Cough
Coughing up blood (hemoptysis)
Fever
Hoarseness
Night sweats
Shortness of breath

Signs and tests

A medical history and physical examination may show:

Fever
High-pitched breathing sound (stridor)
Swollen or tender lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy)
Unintentional weight loss
Wheezing

Further testing may include:

Treatment

Treatment for mediastinal tumors depends on the type of tumor.

For thymic cancers, surgery is the treatment of choice. It may be followed by radiation or chemotherapy, depending on the stage of the tumor and the success of the surgery.
For lymphomas, chemotherapy followed by radiation is the treatment of choice.
For neurogenic tumors of the posterior mediastinum, surgery is the treatment of choice.

Expectations (prognosis)

The outcome depends on the type of tumor. Different tumors respond differently to chemotherapy and radiation.

Complications

Complications of mediastinal tumors include:

Spinal cord compression
Spread to nearby structures such as the heart, lining around the heart (pericardium), and great vessels (aorta and vena cava)

Radiation, surgery, and chemotherapy can all have serious complications.

Calling your health care provider

Call your health care provider if you notice symptoms of a mediastinal tumor.

Review Date:9/13/2008
Reviewed By:Benjamin Medoff, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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