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| Case
of the Month |
by
Dr K C Choy AM (Mal), MBBS,
M.Med, FRCR
Answer to Case Of the Month
The patient had a thoracotomy with removal of a thin walled cystic lesion in
the right paratracheal region. The wall of the lesion was lined by a single
layer of columnar epithelium some of which were ciliated. The
histopathological diagnosis of bronchogenic cyst was made.
Discussion of Findings
There was a “bulge” and widening of the right
paratracheal region on the CXR- indicating a mediastinal mass was likely.
The CT of the thorax showed a low density lesion in the right paratracheal
region, at about the level of the carina. There was no significant
enhancement of the lesion or its wall.
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Bronchogenic Cyst |
Widening of
the superior mediastinum on the CXR may be due to a variety of causes. Most
commonly, this is due to enlarged lymph nodes from lymphoma, metastatic
disease or sarcoidosis. Other causes include germ cell tumours, thymic
tumours or retrosternal extension of a thyroid mass. Foregut developmental
abnormalities such as bronchogenic cyst or duplication cyst are less common.
Bronchogenic cyst arises from an abnormality in the development of the
primitive foregut. It is lined with respiratory epithelium and contains
mucoid material. They may be located anywhere in the mediastinum but the
middle mediastinum is the most common site especially in the subcarinal and
right paratracheal areas. Less than 15% of cysts are located within the lung
parenchyma.
Most brochogenic cysts are asymptomatic and discovered incidentally. They
may become symptomatic if infection or haemorrhage or compression of
adjacent structures occurs. On CXR, a bronchogenic cyst appears as a smooth
lobulated mediastinal mass. On CT scan, the cyst is usually round with low
attenuation contents. Some of the cysts may appear to have soft tissue
attenuation due to proteinacious material or haemorrhage in the cyst. The
cyst wall does not enhance with contrast.
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| About
the Author |
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Dr K C Choy
is currently attached to the Mahkota Medical
Centre, Melaka as Radiologist.
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Tuesday, 04 January 2005 |
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