INTRODUCTION Ganglioneuroblastoma is a rare peripheral neuroblastic tumor that is derived from developing neuronal cells of the sympathetic nervous system, and is found mostly, but not exclusively, in babies and young children. CASE PRESENTATION To the best of our knowledge, there have been no previously reported cases of ganglioneuroblastoma of the mediastinum from Pakistan. We present a cas...

Ganglioneuromas originate from neural crest sympathogonia of the autonomic nervous system. These tumors are benign, fully differentiated tumors that contain mature Schwann cells, ganglion cells, fibrous tissue and nerve fibers. Ganglioneuromas commonly localize in the abdominal and mediastinum regions, such as the adrenal gland, paraspinal retroperitoneum and posterior mediastinum. However, the...

Lymphangiohemangiomas of the mediastinum are exceedingly rare and few cases have been published in the English literature. This report may be the only reported case in which lymphangiohemangiomas were found bilaterally. We report a case of a 7-year-old boy with an incidental finding of an abnormal mediastinal shadow on a chest X-ray. The chest CT showed a large mass in the left superior mediast...

Posterior sternoclavicular dislocations are rare but serious injuries. The proximity of the medial clavicle to the vital structures of the mediastinum warrants caution with management of the injury. Radiographs are the initial imaging test, though computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are essential for diagnosis and preoperative planning. This paper presents an efficient diagnostic...

Thoracic duct cysts in the mediastinum are rare. We report the case of a 66-year-old gentleman who was found to have multiple small thoracic duct cysts during investigation of a retrosternal thyroid goitre. Multiple paraoesphageal swellings were seen on a computed tomographic scan in the upper posterior mediastinum. The largest was 2 cm and they were continuous with the thoracic duct. This is t...

Mediastinal enteric cysts are a rare occurrence among adults and are usually asymptomatic. In most cases they are an incidental finding in the right hemi-mediastinum and are associated with vertebral anomalies. We report the unusual case of a 23 year old male who had a mediastinal mass on chest X-ray as an incidental finding. Chest Computed Tomography (CT) scan revealed no vertebral anomalies a...

The azygos vein is the vein that drains the thoracic wall and upper lumbar region. It is the important channel connecting the two venae cavae. Its origin is variable. On developmental grounds it should originate from the posterior surface of the inferior vena cava near the renal veins. This is known as lumbar azygos vein. In the absence of lumbar azygos, it is formed by the union of ascending l...

We report a 58-year-old male treated with surgical drainage by mediansternotomy using a pedicled omental flap for descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM). The patient recovered from DNM after five months of mechanical respiratory support. In deciding upon the most appropriate surgical approach for mediastinal drainage, the level of infection is a good landmark and should be investigated by C...

The changes of the respiratory pressure within the esophagus, as well as within the posterior mediastinum, differ greatly in their various levels. They are best in the section between the heart and the diaphragm; they are moderate from the upper aperture of the thorax to above the tracheal bifurcation, and they are. very much reduced in the region of the bifurcation and the heart. In the latter...