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Table 1 Contents of each mediastinal compartment and the most commonly encountered lesions [1, 4, 5]

From: Role of diffusion weighted MR-imaging in the evaluation of malignant mediastinal lesions

Compartment

Major contents

Common lesions

Anterior (prevascular)

Thymus

Fat

Lymph nodes

Left brachiocephalic vein

• Thymic lesions/masses

• Germ cell neoplasms

• Lymphoma

• Intra-thoracic goiter

• Metastatic lymphadenopathy

(50% of all mediastinal masses)

Middle (visceral)

Non-vascular:

trachea, carina, esophagus, lymph nodes

Vascular:

heart, aorta,

superior vena cava, intra-pericardial pulmonary arteries, thoracic duct

• Lymphoma

• Metastatic lymphadenopathy

• Foregut duplication cysts

• Tracheal lesions

• Esophageal masses

• Aortic aneurysms

• Cardiac masses

• Pericardial masses/cysts

(Congenital cysts are the most common)

Posterior (para-vertebral)

Paravertebral soft tissues

• Benign and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors

• Sympathetic ganglia tumors

• Lateral thoracic meningocele

• Extramedullary hematopoiesis

(Neurogenic tumors are the most common)

 

Central bronchogenic carcinoma may be allocated to/involve any one or more of the three mediastinal compartments.