Aims and objectives
The mediastinum is that space within the thoracic cavity that is bounded anteriorly by the sternum,
posteriorly by the paravertebral gutters and ribs,
superiorly by the thoracic inlet,
and inferiorly by the diaphragm.1 This space is divided into four regions relative to the pericardial sac: superior,
anterior,
middle,
and posterior (Fig.1).
Fig. 1
Mediastinal masses in children may represent congenital anomalies,
infections,
and benign and malignant neoplasms.
Pseudomasses can pose diagnostic challenges to the unwary eye.
Mediastinal masses in children have many similarities to those...
Methods and materials
Patient population:
In our retrospective descriptive study,
48 cases of mediastinal masses were collectedover 3 years (January 2015 to January 2018) in the Pediatric Radiology Department of the Ibn Rochd University Hospital(Casablanca-Morocco).
The histological confirmation was obtained for all cases.
Data acquisition:
All our patients were explored by Chest XRay and a CT scan
CT-Scanexaminations were performed using a 16 slicessystem machine (Optima 520,
General Electric (GE),
Morocco).
Patients were placed in prone position.The protocolconsisted ofhelical acquisition (2mm) before and after contrast enhancement,
with automatic...
Results
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND CLINICAL FEATURES[Tab.1]
Forty-eight patients were included in our study (30 males and 18 females - Sex-Ratio=1,67).
The average age was 08years (range: months to 12years).
The clinical symptomatology was dominated by Dyspnea (100%),
chest pain (81,5%) and signs of mediastinal compression (75%).
IMAGING FINDINGS:
Chest X-ray revealed mediastinal enlargement in 42 cases (87.5%).
The anterior localization was noted in 29 cases (60.4%).
Chest CT-Scan was the cornerstone in the differential diagnosis of the mediastinal masses,
by identifying their location (anterior,
middle or posterior...
Conclusion
The mediastinal masses are relatively frequent with various etiologiesdominated by lymphoma and neurogenic tumors.
The combined knowledge of patient’s age,
clinical features,
the location,
the density attenuation and extension of the lesion can often lead to a correct diagnosis.
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