We aimed to evaluate the histologic components of primary mediastinal mixed germ cell tumors. A total of 221 patients diagnosed with a mediastinal germ cell tumor (GCT) were retrospectively reviewed. Among them, 14 patients underwent surgical resection after chemotherapy and 8 patients were diagnosed with mixed GCT, who were then selected for further evaluation. Clinical chart review and histologic review of biopsy and surgical specimens of 8 patients were performed. All 8 patients were young males and showed a mature teratoma or a mature teratoma with a focal immature teratoma in the resected specimens. Serum alpha-feto protein was variably elevated. Seven patients experienced an increase in tumor size after the chemotherapy. In 5 patients, a variable amount of vasculoconnective tissue was found along with the mature teratoma occupying average 66.3% of resected mass, and 3 of them showed an identical vasculoconnective component on biopsy before chemotherapy. We suggest that vasculoconnective tissue might be the intrinsic component of primary mediastinal mixed GCT. When vasculoconnective tissue is obtained on small biopsy of an anterior mediastinal mass of a young male, the possibility of underlying mixed GCT should be considered and further clinical work up should be performed.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Blood Vessels/*pathology ; Connective Tissue/*pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Male ; Mediastinal Neoplasms/*pathology ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/*pathology ; Teratoma/*pathology ; Young Adult

Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical features and prognostic factors of primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMLBCL).

METHODSThe clinical data of 82 patients with PMLBCL enrolled from January 2000 to January 2008 were retrospectively studied. All these patients were treated in four affiliated hospitals of Central South University,Hunan province. The prognostic factors were investigated.

RESULTSOf the 82 patients, 45 were men and 37 were women, the ratio was 1.22:1. The median age was 29.5 (ranged from 12 to 78) years old. There were 40 (48.78%) patients in stage I/II, 42 (51.22%) in stage III/IV. The complete response (CR) rate was 13.4% (11/82), and the overall response rate 76.83% (63/82). The 5-year overall survival was 58%. The univariate analysis indicated that the poor prognostic factors included stage III/IV(P=0.005), without rituximab (P=0.004), without radiotherapy (P=0.000), LDH ≥ ULN (upper limit of normal) (P=0.000), disease progression (P=0.000), international prognostic index (IPI)≥ 2 (P=0.000) and superior vena cava syndrome (P=0.015). Chemo-therapy alone (P=0.000) predicted poor outcome. Combination therapy (such as chemo-radiotherapy, chemotherapy combined with rituximab) had better prognosis. Compared to second-line treatment, rituximab as the first-line treatment can prolong PFS, but had no effect on the OS. In multivariate analysis, chemo-radiotherapy and IPI were independently related to prognosis.

CONCLUSIONPMLBCL mostly affects young adults, male patients were slightly more than female patients. It presents with a typical bulky mediastinal mass at diagnosis, which constricts surrounding organs. Patients treated with rituximab or radiation therapy had better prognosis. Rituximab is recommended to be used for the first-line treatment.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; diagnosis ; pathology ; therapy ; Male ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; therapy ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Rituximab ; Young Adult

We report an unusual case of 9.5-cm-sized embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma arose from a mediastinal mature teratoma in a 46-yr-old man. A man presented with chest trauma as a result of an accident at 10 September 2011. On chest X-ray, an anterior mediastinal mass was detected. To obtain further information, chest computed tomography (CT) with contrast enhancement was performed, revealing an anterior mediastinal mass. Complete surgical excision was performed and entire specimen was evaluated. Pathologic diagnosis was embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma arising in mature cystic teratoma. After surgical excision, two cycles of dactinomycin-based chemotherapy were performed. Lung metastasis was detected on follow up CT in September 2012, and wedge resection was performed. Pathological finding of the lung lesion showed same feature with that of primary rhabdomyosarcoma.
Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/therapeutic use ; Dactinomycin/therapeutic use ; Desmin/metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung Neoplasms/radiography/secondary/surgery ; Male ; Mediastinal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/drug therapy/*radiography/surgery ; Rhabdomyosarcoma, Embryonal/drug therapy/*radiography/surgery ; Teratoma/*diagnosis/pathology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Biomarkers ; blood ; Child ; Chorionic Gonadotropin ; blood ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Growth Disorders ; etiology ; Humans ; Klinefelter Syndrome ; complications ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; complications ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Puberty, Precocious ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Teratoma ; complications ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Testis ; pathology

Adult ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; secondary ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; pathology ; surgery ; Mediastinum ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Osteosarcoma ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; pathology ; secondary ; surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma is a rare malignant neoplasm and little is known about its radiological features. We present here four cases of follicular dendritic cell sarcomas and we provide the image characteristics of these tumors to help radiologists recognize this entity when making a diagnosis.
Adult ; Dendritic Cell Sarcoma, Follicular/pathology/*radiography ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/radiography ; Head and Neck Neoplasms/pathology/radiography ; Humans ; Male ; Mediastinal Neoplasms/radiography ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Mediastinal lymphadenopathy associated with extrathoracic malignancy or a metastasis of unknown origin (MUO) requires pathological verification. Surgical exploration or endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration is limited to application. We investigated the effectiveness of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle biopsy (EBUS-TBNA) for evaluating mediastinal lymphadenopathy in patients with an extrathoracic malignancy. We retrospectively analyzed data from 59 patients who underwent EBUS-TBNA with a core biopsy because of a suspected mediastinal metastasis between September 2008 and August 2010. All patients had previously been diagnosed with an extrathoracic malignancy (n = 39, 66.1%) or a suspected MUO without a thoracic lesion (n = 20, 33.9%). A total of 88 lymph nodes was analyzed. EBUS-TBNA findings indicated malignancies in 34 patients (57.6%). The EBUS-TBNA sensitivity and specificity for the detection of mediastinal malignancy in patients with a previous extrathoracic malignancy were 96.3% and 100%, respectively. For MUO patients without a thoracic lesion, the sensitivity and specificity were 61.5% and 100%, respectively. The overall sensitivity and specificity were 81.0% and 100%, respectively (P = 0.053). EBUS-TBNA is a safe and effective modality for evaluating mediastinal lymphadenopathy in patients with a previous extrathoracic malignancy or a MUO without a thoracic lesion. The application of this diagnostic tool is likely to have significant clinical implications.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biopsy, Needle/*methods ; Endosonography/*methods ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes/pathology/ultrasonography ; *Lymphatic Diseases/diagnosis/surgery/ultrasonography ; *Lymphatic Metastasis/diagnosis/pathology ; Male ; *Mediastinal Neoplasms/diagnosis/surgery/ultrasonography ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms/*pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

Aged ; Calcinosis ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Mediastinum ; pathology ; surgery ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted

BACKGROUNDMediastinal lesions are often difficult to diagnose in clinical practice because of the unique anatomical position of the mediastinum, which makes performance of biopsy difficult. The value of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in the diagnosis of lung cancer and mediastinal lymph node staging has been widely accepted. However, few studies have been conducted on the value of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of mediastinal lesions. The current study was conducted to investigate the value of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of isolated mediastinal lesions without lung abnormalities.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the data of patients with isolated mediastinal lesions without lung abnormalities for whom endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration examination was performed at the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Peking University People's Hospital, between September 2009 and December 2010. For patients who could not be diagnosed with endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration, surgical biopsy or more than 6 months of clinical and imaging follow-up was carried out.

RESULTSEndobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration was performed for 60 patients with isolated mediastinal lesions. Correct diagnosis was made in 48 cases. Nineteen cases were malignant, and 29 were benign. The rate of correct diagnosis was 80%. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in distinguishing benign from malignant mediastinal lesions were 95%, 100%, and 98%, respectively. The examination was tolerable for all patients. No associated complications were observed.

CONCLUSIONEndobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration is a safe and effective method of diagnosing mediastinal lesions.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Mediastinum ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography ; Young Adult