Abstract

Computerized Tomography is now well established and important noninvasive method of diagnosting mediastinal mass lesions because of its superior imaging of their size, location and internal composition. Authors analyzed and present CT findings of 30 surgically proven mediastinal tumors and cysts that were studied and treated at the Yeungnam University Hospital during recent 6 years. The most common tumor was thymoma (9 cases), and teratoma (6 cases), lymphoma (6 cases), bronchogenic cyst (4 cases), neurogenic tumor (4 cases), pericardial cyst (1 case) were next in order of frequency. There were 5 cases of thymoma showing homogenous solid density mass, 2 cases were malignant thymoma and myasthenia gravis was present in 2 cases. A case of thymolipoma and a case of thymic carcinoma were included. All teratomas were cystic masses but pathognomonic fat, and calcified density were seen only in 4 cases. 5 cases were located in anterior mediastinum and 1 case was in posterior mediastinum. Lymphoma (3 Hodgkin's and 3 non-Hodgkin's) appeared as irregular lobulated mass in anterior mediastinum. Neurogenic tumor (2 ganglioneuroma and 2 neurilemmoma) appeared as homogenous density mass located in posterior mediastinum. Among the 4 bronchogenic cysts, 2 were located in retrotracheal area, 1 was located in subcarinal and 1 was in parathoracic area. One case of pericardial cyst was oval shaped cystic mass located in left pericardiac border.