Health Dictionary Find a Doctor

Mediastinal tumor causes

Please help WikiDoc by adding more content here. It’s easy! Click here to learn about editing.

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Overview

Causes

Causes

  • The mediastinum is the part of the chest that lies between the sternum and the spinal column, and between the lungs. This area contains the heart, large blood vessels, windpipe (trachea), thymus gland, and connective tissues.
  • The mediastinum is divided into three sections:
  • Anterior (front)
  • Middle
  • Posterior (back)
  • Mediastinal tumors are rare.
  • The most common location for tumors in the mediastinum depends on the age of the patient. In children, tumors are more common in the posterior mediastinum. These tumors often begin in the nerves and are non-cancerous (benign).
  • Most mediastinal tumors in adults occur in the anterior mediastinum and are usually cancerous (malignant) lymphomas or thymomas. These tumors are most common in people ages 30 – 50.
References

References


Template:WikiDoc Sources

Looking for the patient version?

Back to the patient-friendly article

© 2026 MyEClinic – IFTM Institut für Telematik in der Medizin GmbH