title: Ultrasound-guided aspiration biopsy of anterior mediastinal masses.
abstract: Five anterior mediastinal tumors were biopsied with a fine needle under ultrasound guidance. All the tumors were solid, hypoechoic, perivascularly situated masses. Their mean diameter was 7.2 cm. Cytologically there were 2 mediastinal metastatic carcinomas, 1 poorly differentiated carcinoma or non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 1 germ-cell tumor (embryonal cell carcinoma), and 1 malignant lymphoma or thymoma. There were no complications. Ultrasound-guided anterior mediastinal aspiration biopsy is a safe and rapid procedure in the evaluation of anterior mediastinal masses. Biopsy of a mediastinal mass enables simultaneous diagnosis and staging. Mediastinoscopy and diagnostic thoracotomy can be avoided.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Keski-Pohjanmaa Central Hospital, Kokkola, Finland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tikkakoski
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lohela
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leppänen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Apaja-Sarkkinen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Typpäo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mäkäräinen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography