Unusual Intrathoracic Lesions: A Case Series

Abstract

The thoracic cavity consists of the mediastinum located centrally which is bordered by two pleural cavities laterally. The major organs included are the thymus gland, the heart, the lungs, the tracheobronchial tree, lymph nodes and vessels. The lesions originating from the various organs are diverse and occasionally some lesions occurring are extremely rare. The aim was to study demographic features, anatomical site and histological findings of the cases. This was a prospective evaluation of the intrathoracic lesions in a tertiary care center from June 2018 to June 2020. This comprised of patient’s age and sex, the clinical characteristics and location of the tumour, the duration of the lesion and the histopathological findings along with Immunohistochemistry (IHC). This case series describes 10 cases of intrathoracic lesions originating from mediastinal soft tissue, thymus gland, lungs and heart. Patient’s age ranged from five months old to 48 years old with males and females equally affected. All the patients have undergone treatment and were followed-up as well. Intrathoracic lesions are unusual tumours with varied histology. These intrathoracic lesions require a multidisciplinary approach. These lesions should be examined well to determine the source of the lesion for a conclusive diagnosis. Radiological correlation along with histopathology and immunohistochemistry assists in accurate diagnosis.

Keywords

• histopathology
• immunohistochemistry
• neoplastic lesions
• thoracic cavity