• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.863-870
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• 1988

Many varieties of space-occupying lesions can occur in the mediastinum. During the twenty-three-year period 1966-1988, we had experienced the 151 cases of primary mediastinal tumors and cysts at the Thoracic k Cardiovascular Dept., CUMC. The most common histologic types were thymomas and germ cell tumors, followed by neurogenic tumors and lymphomas. Most non-neoplastic lesions were granulomatous lesions and cysts. The mediastinal tumors were often asymptomatic, the malignant tumors in 35.4%, the benign tumors and cysts in 72.8% of the cases. The most common symptom was pain, which occurred in one-fourth of the patients. The most useful diagnostic method was X-ray examination of the chest. However, a final diagnosis could usually be made only at operation. Nine malignant tumors[30.0%] were excised radically, 17[56.7%] palliatively and 4[13.3%] were only biopsied. Almost all benign tumors except tuberculous lymphadenitis were radically excised. Fourteen patients received postoperative radiation therapy and 17 received chemotherapy. The postoperative complications were developed in 15[11.7%] and hospital mortality was 0.8%.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.849-854
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• 1985

We have experienced 50 cases of mediastinal tumors and cysts from March, 1979 to August, 1985 at Kyung Hee University Hospital. The results of this cases analysis were as followings; 1. Of all 50 mediastinal tumors and cysts, 26 patients were male and 24 patients were female. There was no sex preference. The age distribution was from 27 months to 64 years, and mean age was 33.5 years old, and also no age preference. 2. The most common mediastinal tumor was benign cysts [12 cases], which comprise 24% of all mediastinal tumors and cysts. The second common mediastinal tumor was teratoma [9 cases-18%], and followed by thymic tumors and tuberculous granuloma [7 cases-14% each], neurogenic tumors [5 cases-10%], and other tumors [10 cases-20%]. 3. The anterior mediastinum was most common tumor location, and followed by middle, superior, and posterior. 4. All 9 teratomas were developed at anterior mediastinum, and 4 of 5 neurogenic tumors were developed at posterior mediastinum. Thymomas were developed at anterior and superior mediastinum. The bronchogenic cysts had no predilection of location. 5. The most common chief complaint at admission was chest pain or discomfort [23 cases-46%], and followed by cough with or without sputum, and exertional dyspnea. Asymptomatic patients were only 7 patients [24%]. 6. Of all 50 cases, 38 cases [76%] received radical tumor resection, 7 mediastinoscopic biopsy, 3 explo thoracotomy and biopsy, and 1 neck mass biopsy. 7. There were 2 hospital deaths, one of which was a patient who suffered malignant thymoma and Myasthenia Gravis. The patient received radical tumor excision, but died at 7th POD. The other patient was a patient with malignant transformation of the benign cystic teratoma. The operative mortality was 4%.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.745-749
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• 1990

A wide variety of histologically or clinically different tumors and cysts can occur from the many anatomical structures located within the mediastinum. We report the analysis of the 26 cases of mediastinal tumors and cysts, experienced in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, College of Medicine, Hallym University from March 1983 to February 1990. Sex ratio of male to female was 1:1.16 and mean age was 33.4 years. Malignant tumors were 8 cases[30.7%], benign tumors were 18 cases[69.2%] The most common histologic types were thymoma, 6 cases[23%] and teratoma, 6 cases [23%] followed by neurogenic tumor, 4 cases[15%] and mediastinal tuberculoma, 3 cases [11.5%]. The most frequent symptoms were chest pain and discomfort. Most of benign tumors were completely removed and malignant tumors were treated with anticancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy after operation. Postoperative complications were developed in 4 cases[15.3%] and hospital mortality was 3.8%.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.297-302
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• 1994

This report is a review of 98 cases of the primary mediastinal tumors which are treated in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chonnam University Hospital from January, 1985 to February, 1993 and divided two groups. One group is from January, 1985 to January, 1989 and named it Group 1[G1]. Another group is from February, 1989 to February, 1993 and named it Group 2[G2]. Chest pain is the most common clinical manifestation in the two groups. The common mediastinal tumors are teratoma 11 cases[29.7%], neurogenic tumor 7 cases[18.9%], thymoma 6 cases[16.2%], primary cyst 3 cases[8.1%] in Group 1 and thymoma 16 cases[26.2%], teratoma 15 cases[24.6%], neurogenic tumor 9 cases[14.8%], primary cyst 9 cases[14.8%] in Group 2. Therefore this result shows that the incidence of thymoma is increased in group 2. In benign tumors, the subjective symptoms are 64.3% in group 1 and 63.6% in group 2. In malignant tumors, they are 100% in group 1 and 82.4% in group 2. this result shows that asymptomatic malignant tumors are increased in group 2. The successful excision is done in all of the 71 benign tumors except one. In malignant tumors, the complete surgical excision is increased from 11.1% in group 1 to 41.2% in group 2.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.37-44
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• 1968

This paper is a review of 29 cases of mediastinal tumors originating in the mediastinum or metastasized from other organs and classified on the basis of histopathological types and specific anatomic location in this depart-ment, during nine years period from January 1959 to December 1967. In twenty-three cases, diagnosis was confirmed by histological findings and the rest of the cases were considered to be mediastinal tumors by clinical and/or roentgenological findings. In this series, metastatic mediastinal carcinomas of unknown primary site were most frequent [30.4%] and lymphoma ranked second in frequency comprising 21.7% of total. Range of age was 5 to 61 years and average mean age was 39 years old. Sex ratio was 1.4 male to female. Subjective complaints in order of frequency were as follows: dyspnea [37%], cough [34%], chest pain[24%] and chest discomfort [21%]. Objective signs were as follows: hoarseness [17%], palpable cervical lymph node[17%], blood tinged sputum [10%], weight loss [10%] and superior vena cava syndrome [7%]. There was no operative mortality. There were histologically nine different kinds of mediasfinal tumors in this series.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.299-308
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• 1990

A review of 50 patients with primary mediastinal tumors or cysts has been done to evaluate clinical and pathological behavior of this heterogeneous group of tumors proved by either excision or biopsy from January 1980 to August 1989 at the cardiovascular department of surgery in Kyungpook National University Hospital. There were 30 males and 20 females in this series. The ages of patients ranged from 4 months to 64 years. The mean age of subjects was 30.4 years. Neurogenic tumors [14 cases, 28%] and teratoma [14 cases, 28%] were most frequently encountered and followed by thymoma [10 cases, 20%] and benign cysts [4 cases, 8%]. The anatomic location of the primary mediastinal tumors or cysts was classified as anterior mediastinum and middle or visceral mediastinum and paravertebral or costovertebral mediastinum on the basis of the Shields’ proposition. In 32 patients[64%], the tumors or cysts were located in anterior mediastinum and in 13 patients[26%], the tumors or cysts were located in paravertebral or costovertebral mediastinum. And the rest 5 patients[10%] had middle or visceral mediastinal tumors or cysts. One of the characteristic features of primary mediastinal tumors or cysts is that some mediastinal tumors or cysts have their own preferred location in the mediastinum. In our series, all of the 14 patients with teratoma and 10 patients with thymoma had the anterior mediastinal location, while 13 of the 14 patients with neurogenic tumors had the paravertebral mediastinal location. 14 patients[28%] were asymptomatic and they all were discovered via so-called “Routine” chest x-ray examination. 39 of 50 patients[78%] were benign. 11 patients[22%] were malignant and they were all symptomatic. 40 patients[80%] were treated with complete resection. 5 patients[10%] were treated with partial resection : 2 of malignant thymoma, 3 of lipoma, neuroblastoma, primary squamous cell carcinoma. The rest 5 patients[10%] were only biopsied: 2 of undetermined malignancy and 3 of hemangioma, lymphoma, primary squamous cell carcinoma. 4 of the 10 patients were treated with combination of irradiation and chemotherapy. Postoperative complications were as followings: Horner’s syndrome [4cases, ado], respiratory failure [3 cases, 6%], pleural effusion[3 cases, 6%], Wound infection[2 cases, 4%] and bleeding, pneumothorax, empyema. There were 5 postoperative deaths [10%]. One patient with neuroblastoma died from intraoperative massive bleeding, 3 patients died early postoperatively from respiratory failure with undetermined malignancy died late postoperatively from congestive heart failure due to direct invasion of the tumor to the heart.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.424-428
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• 1979

Clinical observation were performed on 25 cases of Mediastinal tumors or Cyst, those were admitted and treated at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Korea University Hospital, during the 6 years period from March 1973 to March 1979. The following results are obtained. Of 25 cases, 19 patients were males and 6 patients were females. Range of age varied widely from 2 years to 72 years. Approximately 28% were younger than 15 years of age at the time of diagnosis. The common subjective symptoms of the patients were anterior chest pain [36%], coughing [27%], dyspnea and a few incidence of hemoptysis. Diagnostic procedures were posteroanterior and lateral chest roentgenorgrams, Chest tomograms, Brochograms, Esophagograms, Mediastinoscopy, Scalene and Axillary Lymph node biopsy, and Needle aspiration biopsy. In the histological distribution on Mediastinal tumors in order of frequency, Neurogenic tumor 6 cases [25%], Lymphoma 5 cases [21%], Bronchogenic cyst 4 cases [17%], Pericardial cyst 2 cases [8.3%], Teratodermoid tumor 2 cases [8.3%], and each one case of Rhabdomyosarcoma, Seminoma, Cavernous hemangioma, Anthracosis, Tuberculoma were noted respectively. Of 24 cases of the histologically confirmed Mediastinal tumors, 6 cases [24%] were malignant. Thoracotomy for removal of tumor or cyst was performed on 17 cases and offered cure of all benign tumors. In 6 cases of malignant tumors, Chemotherapy with Vincristine, Cyclophosphamide and Prednisolone was given to 1 case Lymphoma. There was no case of postoperative mortality.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.881-885
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• 1985

This report is an analysis of 183 cases of mediastinal tumors which were experienced in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei Medical Center from January 1960 to June 1985. In this series, teratoma and neurogenic tumors were found to be the most frequent tumors [24.0%] histopathologically. Male to female sex distribution was 1.2 to 1 with the male predominant. The main clinical symptom was dyspnea, and there was no definitive symptom in 10.9% of all cases. In operating, all of the benign tumors were removed. The most frequent complication was wound infection. [13.7%].

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.174-176
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• 2022

Mediastinal paragangliomas are rare tumors that have only been reported in individual cases or limited case series. Surgical resection of these tumors can be challenging, as they are highly vascular and intimately related to the great vessels. Surgery is usually performed via median sternotomy with or without cardiopulmonary bypass. We present the case of a mediastinal paraganglioma that was resected via a left-sided posterolateral thoracotomy. Histopathology revealed a completely resected 38-mm paraganglioma with a positive station 5 lymph node, indicative of locally aggressive disease. Hereditary paragangliomas are associated with malignant transformation; therefore, genetic testing is important. These tumors do not respond well to chemoradiotherapy, and consequently lifelong surveillance for early detection of recurrence is recommended.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.575-583
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• 1993

Background: Mediastinal masses are not uncommon, and an overall incidence of one case per 100,000 population per year in individuals of all ages and with no difference in sex incidence may be a reasonable estimation. At least half of all mediastinal masses are asymptomatic and this proportion has increased in recent decades with wider use of screening chest roentgenography. Symptoms in patients with mediastinal mass lesions are usually due to compression or invasion of nearby intrathoracic structures. Most mediastinal mass lesions have characteristic predilectional locations. The basic focus of diagnostic evaluation is an orderly preparation for obtaining a tissue diagnosis but even lesions discovered to be benign must generally be removed. Seldom is this status known for certain preoperatively. In additaion, benign tumors may continue to enlarge, thus compromising vital organs; they may rupture, hemorrhage, become infected or have the possibility of various malignant degeneration. Therefore, all mediastinal masses must be surgically removed whether they are malignant or benign. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 344 cases previously confirmed as mediastinal tumors or cysts from January, 1960 to August, 1992 and investigated the clinical findings. Results: Neurogenic tumors were the most common(24.7%) and thymomas were distinctively increased recently. Overall ratio between males and females was 1.1:1 and age distribution was relatively even among all age groups. Predilectional sites were posterior for neurogenic tumors, and anterior for teratodermoid tumors, thymomas and lymphomas. Dyspnea was the most common symptom in the patients of the mediastinal tumors and asymptomatic patients were 19.5%, Benign mediastinal mass lesions were 66.0% and malignant, 34.0%, Complete or partial resection was done in 42.4%. Conclusion: We could find the increasing incidence and the tendency of aggressive resection as possible in the mediastinal tumors. We expect the discovery of more mediastinal tumors with wider use of regular check-up and development of diagnostic methods.