Chest Radiology > Pathology > Mediastinal Mass > Anterior Mediastinum

Anterior Mediastinal Mass

Anterior mediastinal masses consist of the 4 "T's" (Terrible lymphadenopathy, Thymic tumors, Teratoma, Thyroid mass) and aortic aneurysm, pericardial cyst, epicardial fat pad.  Usually CT or fine needle aspiration is needed to make the definitive diagnosis of  an anterior mediastinal mass. 

 

T-cell Lymphoma

 

 

Note in these images that the hilum can be seen through the mass.  It is not a hilar mass.  The lateral shows nothing abnormal posteriorly.

 

The CT sections demonstrate the mass in the anterior mediastinum (arrows) at the aortopulmonary window which was a thymoma.