Mediastinal Castleman disease: CT findings.

Abstract

Our objective was to characterize the CT findings of mediastinal Castleman disease. We reviewed the CT findings of mediastinal Castleman disease in 10 patients. In nine cases of hyaline-vascular type Castleman disease, lymph nodes were 2-7 cm in diameter and located in the hilum in six patients, superior mediastinum in two patients, and posterior mediastinum in one patient. On CT the tumors were well-demarcated round masses showing dense homogeneous enhancement after contrast medium injection. Dynamic CT in one case showed gradual centripetal enhancement of the mass. In one case of hyaline-vascular type Castleman disease, lumpy and irregular calcifications were noted in the center of the mass. In the one case of plasma cell type Castleman disease, multiple small homogeneously enhancing nodes were found in the mediastinal and supraclavicular area. CT findings may suggest the preoperative diagnosis of mediastinal Castleman disease.