Lymphoepithelial cysts in the mediastinum with an opening to the trachea.
A case of lymphoepithelial cysts (LECs) in the mediastinum, manifested radiographically by paratracheal air collection, is reported. Percutaneous injection of radiopaque material and indocyanine green into a cyst showed an opening to the trachea. During surgical resection, three well-circumscribed cysts were isolated. Pathologically the cysts were lined by a ciliated columnar epithelium and surrounded by lymphoid tissue with germinal centers. Judging from the level of the duct opening onto the airway, these LECs might have derived from a remnant of the fourth branchial pouch. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case described.
Tanaka
H
H
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Japan.
Igarashi
T
T
Teramoto
S
S
Yoshida
Y
Y
Abe
S
S
D001935:Branchioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005402:Fistula / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008476:Mediastinal Cyst / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014133:Tracheal Diseases / Q000473:pathology