Widened mediastinum: Difference between revisions
Neil.m.young (talk | contribs) (Text replacement - "* " to "*") |
ClaireLewis (talk | contribs) No edit summary |
||
| (5 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
*Diagnosed on plain radiography of the chest | |||
*Mediastinal width >8cm is abnormal | |||
*Potential causes include: | |||
**AP projection (Mediastinal structures further away from imaging plate) | |||
**Thoracic aortic aneurysm | |||
**[[Aortic dissection]]/rupture | |||
**Mediastinal mass | |||
==Anatomy== | ==Anatomy== | ||
*Mediastinum is divided into superior and inferior compartments, the latter further subdivided into anterior, middle and posterior compartments.<ref>Whitten CR, Khan S, Munneke GJ, Grubnic S. A diagnostic approach to mediastinal abnormalities. Radiographics. 2007;27(3):657–671. doi:10.1148/rg.273065136.</ref> | |||
[[File:Mediastinum Anatomy.png|thumb|Anatomy and contents of the mediastinum<ref>Faiz, O., & Moffat, D. (2002). Anatomy at a glance. Malden, MA: Blackwell Science.</ref>]] | [[File:Mediastinum Anatomy.png|thumb|Anatomy and contents of the mediastinum<ref>Faiz, O., & Moffat, D. (2002). Anatomy at a glance. Malden, MA: Blackwell Science.</ref>]] | ||
==Mediastinal Masses== | ===Mediastinal Masses=== | ||
*Anterior | *Anterior | ||
**Retrosternal goiter | **Retrosternal goiter | ||
| Line 21: | Line 28: | ||
**Descending aortic aneurysm | **Descending aortic aneurysm | ||
**Paraspinal abscess | **Paraspinal abscess | ||
==Imaging== | |||
[[File:Dissection CXR.jpg|thumbnail|CXR showing widened mediastinum and porminent aortic knob in [[nontraumatic thoracic aortic dissection]]]] | |||
[[File:PMC4040866 rju05301.png|thumb|Blunt [[Traumatic aortic transection|thoracic aortic injury]] on CXR showing widened mediastinum]] | |||
==See Also== | |||
*[[Chest X-ray interpretation]] | |||
==External Links== | ==External Links== | ||
Latest revision as of 15:28, 14 October 2019
Background
- Diagnosed on plain radiography of the chest
- Mediastinal width >8cm is abnormal
- Potential causes include:
- AP projection (Mediastinal structures further away from imaging plate)
- Thoracic aortic aneurysm
- Aortic dissection/rupture
- Mediastinal mass
Anatomy
- Mediastinum is divided into superior and inferior compartments, the latter further subdivided into anterior, middle and posterior compartments.[1]
Anatomy and contents of the mediastinum[2]
Mediastinal Masses
- Anterior
- Retrosternal goiter
- Thymoma
- Germ-cell tumor
- Lymphadenopathy (lymphoma)
- Middle
- Aortic arch aneurysm
- Dilated pulmonary artery
- Tracheal lesion
- Posterior
- Esophageal lesions
- Hiatal hernia
- Descending aortic aneurysm
- Paraspinal abscess
Imaging
CXR showing widened mediastinum and porminent aortic knob in nontraumatic thoracic aortic dissection
Blunt thoracic aortic injury on CXR showing widened mediastinum