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Lymphoma, mediastinal cysts, and neurogenic neoplasms are the most common primary middle and posterior mediastinal tumors. Lymphoma may involve the anterior, middle and/or posterior mediastinum, frequently as Lymphadenopathy or as a discrete mass. Foregut cysts are common congenital mediastinal cysts and frequently arise in the middle mediastinum. Pericardial cysts are rare. Schwannoma and neurofibroma are benign peripheral nerve neoplasms, represent the most common mediastinal neurogenic tumors, and rarely degenerate into malignant tumors of nerve sheath origin. Sympathetic ganglia tumors include benign ganglioneuroma and malignant ganglioneuroblastoma and neuroblastoma. Lateral thoracic meningocele is a rare cause of a posterior mediastinal mass. (CHEST 1997;112:1344-57) Key Words: cyst; ganglioneuroma; lymphoma; mediastinum; meningocele; neoplasm; neuroblastoma; neurofibroma; neurogenic tumor; schwannoma Abbreviations: HD=Hodkin's disease; MTNSO=malignant tumors of nerve sheath origin; NHL=non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; PA=posteroanterior; REAL=revised European-American classification of lymphoid neoplasms; SVC=superior vena cava., This article will review primary middle and posterior mediastinal neoplastic and nonneoplastic tumors that comprise approximately 50% of all mediastinal masses. Lymphoma constitutes one of the most common mediastinal neoplasms [...]

Primary anterior mediastinal neoplasms comprise a diverse group of tumors and account for 50% of all mediastinal masses. Thymomas are most common and can he locally invasive and associated with [...]

A patient with a previously unsuspected intrathoracic tracheal malignancy presented with symptoms suggestive of asthma and an unusual pattern seen by conventional PFTs. Reduced expiratory flows with a large difference [...]

To determine the relative sensitivity and specificity of cytology and fluorescence in situhybridization (FISH) for the detection of lung cancer in bronchoscopically obtained specimens.

Lymphoma, mediastinal cysts, and neurogenic neoplasms are the most common primary middle and posterior mediastinal tumors. Lymphoma may involve the anterior, middle and/or posterior mediastinum, frequently as lymphadenopathy or as a discrete mass. Foregut cysts are common congenital mediastinal cysts and frequently arise in the middle mediastinum. Pericardial cysts are rare. Schwannoma and neurofibroma are benign peripheral nerve neoplasms, represent the most common mediastinal neurogenic tumors, and rarely degenerate into malignant tumors of nerve sheath origin. Sympathetic ganglia tumors include benign ganglioneuroma and malignant ganglioneuroblastoma and neuroblastoma. Lateral thoracic meningocele is a rare cause of a posterior mediastinal mass.

During five years, 6,879 patients underwent bronchoscopic study at the Mayo Clinic. Mycobacterial cultures were obtained from 4,120 (60 percent). Mycobacterial organisms (typical or atypical) other than Mycobacterium gordonaewere isolated in 70/4,120 (1.7 percent) patients. During the same period, 209 patients had culture-proved M tuberculosisfrom various sources. Bronchoscopy was performed on 34/209 (16 percent) patients. Washings or secretions from bronchoscopy grew M tuberculosisin 32/34 (94 percent) cases. Bronchoscopy and bronchoscopic cultures were important in the diagnosis of M tuberculosisin 16/34 (47 percent) patients. Atypical mycobacteria were cultured from various sources in 428 patients during the period of study. In 254 of these, M gordonaewas isolated, but it was considered to be nonpathogenic in all. Of the remaining 174 patients with culture-proved atypical mycobacteriosis, 40 (23 percent) underwent bronchoscopic studies. Of these 40 patients, 24 had active disease and 11 had saprophytic colonization; in five, the disease activity was indeterminate. Bronchoscopic cultures of secretions or washings or both were positive for atypical organisms in 38/40 (95 percent) patients.