title: Traumatic mediastinal lymphocele mimicking other thoracic injuries: case report.
abstract: Thoracic duct injury and chylothorax are rare consequences of blunt thoracic trauma. A contained mediastinal lymph collection (ie, lymphocele) is rarer still. The article describes a case of posttraumatic mediastinal widening resulting from a high-speed motor vehicle accident. During the patient's radiologic assessment aortic rupture, paraspinal hematoma, esophageal injury, mediastinal tumor, and pseudomeningocele were sought and subsequently excluded. At this point a traumatic lymphocele was suggested, and the diagnosis was confirmed by computed tomography-guided percutaneous needle aspiration. The anatomy and physiology of the thoracic duct are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Medical College of Virginia Hospitals, Richmond 23298-0615.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hom
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jolles
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008210:Lymphocele / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008477:Mediastinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D013897:Thoracic Duct / Q000293:injuries*; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*