The treatment of primary mediastinal tumors and cysts in children

Abstract

Objective To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of primary mediastinal tumors and cysts in children.Methods The data of 79 patients admitted from 1966 to 2009 with primary mediastinal tumors and cysts were retrospectively reviewed.All patients underwent surgery and pathological examination.Results The primary mediastinal tumors and cysts in children accounted for 13.96% of primary mediastinal tumors and cysts at the same period.In these 79 patients,neurogenic tumors were diagnosed in 18 (21.5%)patients,gastrointestinal cyst was 15.2%(12/79),teratoma was 17.7%(14/79),and the others were 44.30%(35/79).Twenty-two patients without clinical symptoms were diagnosed by health checkup,accounting for 15.2% in all cases.Tumors in 74 patients(93.7%)were resected,and the mortality rate was 3.8%(3/79).Conclusions The preoperative diagnosis of mediastinal tumors and cysts in children primarily bases on chest X ray,CT scan,ultrasonography,and MRI scan in some cases,but the final diagnosis depends on the intraoperative findings and pathologic examination.Except of lymphoma,primary mediastinal tumors and cysts should be treated by surgery appropriately. Key words: Mediastinal neoplasms; Mediastinal cyst; Surgical procedures,operative