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Paediatric Pulmonology and Allergology
2006 April, Vol. IX, No. 1 (3090-3097)
TUMORS AND DYSPLASIAS OF ANTERIOR MEDIASTINUM
Stanislovas Maknavicius, Gintas Posiunas, Arunas Valiulis
Vilnius University Children’s Hospital, Center of Paediatric Surgery, Vilnius, Lithuania
Mediastinal tumors in children are more common than pulmonary-bronchial tumors. We have analyzed group of 66 patients with tumors and dysplasias of anterior mediastinum. 41 patient had benign tumors and dysplasias. We have found thymic gland pathology in 34 patients: massive true thymic hyperplasia, benign thymoma, epithelial cysts, teratodermoidic cysts, hybernoma. We had 7 cases of benign pathology outside thymic gland: bronchogenic cyst, mature teratoma, pulmonary sequestration, and pseudotumor. 25 patients had malignant tumors. In 7 cases malignant tumors were in thymic gland, in 18 cases outside the thymic gland. We have diagnosed 51 (75,5%) cases of respiratory distress syndrome and compression symptoms, in 18 cases symptoms were severe. All children till 3 years had severe respiratory symptoms. We have found myasthenia gravis in 9 cases; all of the patients had benign pathology. Five patients suffered from severe form of myasthenia gravis, all of them had lymphoid hyperplasia of the thymic gland. Light and moderate forms of myasthenia gravis were in 4 patients with massive true hyperplasia of thymic gland. Despite all modern diagnostic methods it is very hard to set the proper diagnosis before the operation, because of variety of the pathology. Our data is based on histological evaluation after biopsy or operation.