Differential diagnosis of major middle mediastinal lesions
In the following list, an asterisk (*) indicates the most common causes:
- • Goiter
- • Lymphadenopathy
- • Metastatic disease* (lung cancer is the most common etiologic factor)
- • Lymphoma (non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma) or leukemia*
- • Granulomatous infection (fungus, tuberculosis, nontuberculous mycobacterium)
- • Sarcoidosis
- • Inhalational lung disease (silicosis, coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, or berylliosis)
- • Castleman disease
- • Aortic abnormalities: aneurysm,* dissection,* traumatic aortic rupture
- • Bronchopulmonary foregut cysts
- • Tracheal tumor
- • Esophageal abnormalities: neoplasms (carcinoma, leiomyoma, leiomyosarcoma), achalasia
- • Hiatal hernia* (often contains air-fluid level)
- • Cardiac tumor
- • Left ventricular or thoracic aortic aneurysm or pseudoaneurysm
- • Pulmonary artery aneurysm
- • Neurogenic tumor of the vagus nerve
