Definition

A mediastinal tumor is a growth in the central chest cavity (mediastinum), which separates the lungs and contains the heart, aorta, esophagus, thymus, and trachea. Mediastinal tumors are also known as neoplasms of the mediastinum.

Description

Growths that originate in the mediastinum are called primary mediastinal tumors. Most of them are composed of reproductive (germ) cells or develop in thymic, neurogenic (nerve), lymphatic, or mesenchymal (soft) tissue.

Secondary (metastatic) mediastinal tumors originate in the lung, stomach, esophagus, and trachea, and spread through the lymphatic system to the chest cavity.

Although still relatively rare, malignant mediastinal tumors are becoming more common. Usually diagnosed in patients between 30 and 50 years old, they can develop at any age and arise from...