ABSTRACT
Mediastinal tumours are relatively uncommon and they include a wide spectrum of pathologies. Most radiologists only encounter many of these specific lesions infrequently. However, imaging is a critical part of both detecting and establishing the presumptive diagnosis, and thus it is important to have a clear and methodical approach to the interpretation of the image. By clearly depicting the location and composition of such masses, imaging is critical to narrowing the differential diagnosis. Lymphoma is the most common soft tissue mass in any location. Mediastinal masses are often asymptomatic or may be present with non-specific symptoms including shortness of breath, chest pain or discomfort, and cough. The imaging features on computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET) are also very useful aids to narrowing the differential considerations. This chapter will review the common mediastinal tumours in each anatomical compartment and the imaging features associated with their diagnostic and prognostic features.
