Imaging of anterior mediastinal masses.

摘要: Multiple different types of anterior mediastinal masses may be encountered on computed tomography (CT) imaging, and many these lesions are neoplastic in etiology. These include arising from the thymus, thyroid parathyroid glands, as well lymph nodes, pericardium, vessels nerves. Often, CT attenuation mass can helpful narrowing down differential diagnosis, values suggesting fat, water or calcium suggest certain diagnoses; significant enhancement with intravenous contrast also a feature. Lesions fatty teratomas, thymolipomas Morgagni hernias. that manifest pericardial thymic cysts, abscesses, lymphangiomas, neurogenic germ cell tumors. contain calcium, including goiters cancers, thymomas, carcinomas carcinoids, treated lymphoma, tumors, adenomas, nodes involved silicosis, sarcoid, tuberculosis, fungal diseases pneumocystis. Contrast seen vascular origin neoplasms, such adenomas Castleman's disease. In addition to values, exact location morphology question, conjunction clinical features patient age, gender, signs, symptoms, laboratory usually lead short list possible etiologies, thereby directing appropriate additional diagnostic procedures therapeutic approaches.