What is mediastinal adenopathy mean?

Mediastinal adenopathy/lymphadenopathy is the enlargement of lymph nodes in the central part of the chest. Lymph nodes may be enlarged secondary to infection, injury, blockage or cancer. This is usually an incidental finding on routine or follow up chest imaging (chest xray or CT scan).

What causes mediastinal adenopathy?

The most common causes of bilateral hilar adenopathy include sarcoidosis and lymphoma. Other less common causes include pulmonary edema and rheumatologic lung disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis. Many of the other listed disorders cause asymmetric enlargement of mediastinal lymph nodes.

What percentage of mediastinal masses are cancer?

Although relatively uncommon, the precise incidence of mediastinal masses remains unclear due to lack of ubiquity in classification and definition reported in medical literature. Most tend to be benign with approximately 25% found to be malignant.

Is adenopathy cancerous?

Cancer adenopathy occurs when the lymph nodes swell due to cancer in the body. This cancer can start in the lymph nodes themselves, where it is called lymphoma. Cancers may also spread to the lymph nodes when a tumor metastasizes.

What is a mediastinal tumor (neoplasm)?

Tumors (also called neoplasms) are masses of cells. They can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). Mediastinal tumors are growths that form in the area of the chest that separates the lungs. This area, called the mediastinum, is surrounded by the breastbone in front, the spine in back, and the lungs on each side.

What is the association between mediastinal mass and lymphadenopathy?

One patient with a mediastinal mass also had mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Two of the patients with mediastinal masses had lung parenchymal lesions. The remaining 3 patients had enlarged hilar lymph nodes in addition to pulmonary parenchymal lesions.

What causes enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes in lung cancer?

When the mediastinal lymph nodes are enlarged due to a malignancy, lung cancer and lymphoma are the two most likely causes. However, in some cases, the enlargement may not be related to a primary cancer of the lungs but rather to metastatic cancer that has spread from another part of the body to the lungs.

How is mediastinal lymphadenopathy treated in lung cancer?

One patient with a mediastinal mass also had mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Two of the patients with mediastinal masses had lung parenchymal lesions. The remaining 3 patients had enlarged hilar lymph nodes in addition to pulmonary parenchymal lesions. All of the patients were treated with corticosteroids and cytotoxic drugs.