ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Mediastinal tumors are not uncommon but almost half of them are asymptomatic because of the potential space of the mediastinum. Recently owing to the routine screening chest roentgenography and frequent chest CT scans the incidence have increased. Mediastinal masses are both benign or malignant. Even benign masses may continue to enlarge and compromise vital organ function or rupture, bleed, and become infected. Mediastinal tumors have their own predilection site. There are different incidences of these masses in adults and children, sexes, and there may be difference in incidence between races. There are only a few reports about these tumors in Korea, and we are interested in the clinical manifestations of mediastinal tumors in Korea, METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 286 cases of mediastinal tumors which were pathologically confirmed at Keimyung, Kyungpook, and Yeungnam University Hospital in Taegu from 1985 to 1994 but excluded metastatic lesion, tuberculosis, and tumor originated from esophagus, heart, and large vessels. RESULTS: Mediastinal tumors were more frequent in male(60.8%) than female and age distribution was relatively even. Thymoma was most common mediastinal tumor(107 cases, 37.4%). The most common tumor in anterior mediastinum was thymoma (107/212, 50.5%). In posterior mediastinum, neurogenic tumor was the most common(52/67, 77.6%) and teratodermoid tumor was common in middle mediastinum(3/7, 42.9%). The most common symptom was chest discomfort(129 cases, 45.1%) and 67 cases were asymptomatic(23.4%). Benign tumors were more common(175 cases, 61.1%) than malignant tumors. In therapies, complete or partial resections were done in 190 cases(79.8%), chemotherapy or radiotherapy in 71 cases(29.8%), in 24 cases(10.1%) only biopsy was taken without any treatment. Neurogenic tumors have been reported as the most common tumors in western countries and neurogenic and teratodermoid tumor were found to be the most common tumors in the past Korean reports. But thymoma was the most common tumor in this study. CONCLUSION: Thymoma was the most common mediactinal tumor in this study. And thymoma was the most common tumor in anterior mediastinum neurogenic tumor in posterior rnediastinum and teratodermoid tumor in middle mediastinum