Der Begriff Mediastinaltumor beschreibt eine überaus heterogene Entität von über 90 derartig beschriebenen Läsionen. Die Gemeinsamkeit liegt in der anatomischen Zuordnung und im
raumfordernden Charakter.
Abstract
If mediastinal tumours cause symptoms these are related to their anatomical localization or a paraneoplastic syndrome. The differential diagnosis is based on the clinical situation with
finding the lesion, and, furthermore, taking into account the age and sex of the patient, and the mediastinal compartment where the lesion is located. Cross-sectional radiographic diagnostic
is essential for defining the therapeutic strategy. The anterior mediastinum is dominated by thymic tumours, mediastinal lymphomas, germ cell tumours and ectopic mediastinal poiters. The
middle mediastinal compartment is the most frequent place of mediastinal cystic tumours, whereas the posterior mediastinum is the domain of neurogenic tumours. For selected cases a tissue
biopsy is required. Surgery is the mainstay for most mediastinal tumours. Median sternotomy is the most frequent conventional surgical technique while minimally invasive surgery with
thoracoscopic and above all robot assisted operation techniques are increasingly frequent. Combined chemotherapy and modern radiotherapy are essential components of the comprehensive
treatment for mediastinal tumours.
