Primary mediastinal tumors and cysts

Eighty six patients who admitted to Gazi University Departmant ofGeneral Thoracic Surgery with diagnosis of primary mediastinal cysts and tumorsbetween July 2002 and July 2009 are investigated.All of the patient were analysed retrospectively for age, gender, complaint,lession localication, surgical procedure and histopathological diagnosis. Wecompared our results with existing literature.The most common tumor of the anterior mediastinum is thymoma.Lymphomas were the most common tumors dedected in visceral compartmant andneurogenic tumors were common in paravertebral sulcus. Mediastinal cysyts wereusually located in visceral compartmant and among them bronchogenic cysts weremost common.Although lession location and clinical findings are helpful in determinationof mediastinal cysts and tumors, tissue diagnosis is almost always required.Surgery is compulsory for adequate tissue sampling and it is stil the mostimportant diagnostic and therapautic procedure.