A case of idiopathic sclerosing mediastinitis in a 7-year-old Japanese boy.
Sclerosing mediastinitis is a very rare benign disorder characterised by the development of dense fibrous tissue within the mediastinum. Affected patients are typically young adults with infant cases being uncommon especially in areas without endemic histoplasmosis. We report a Japanese boy with markedly elevated serum inflammatory markers for more than 1 year in the absence of any clinical manifestations. 67Ga-scintigraphy demonstrated an accumulation in the mediastinal region and an open biopsy revealed a hard fibrous mass in the anteriosuperior mediastinum. Thus, a diagnosis of idiopathic sclerosing mediastinitis was made.


CONCLUSIONS
To the best of our knowledge, this case is the youngest patient reported with this disorder. In patients with mediastinal mass lesions the diagnosis of sclerosing mediastinitis should be considered as well as infectious, autoimmune or neoplastic disease even in children.
Shinkawa
Tomoko
T
Department of Paediatrics, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, 634-8522 Kashihara City, Nara, Japan.
Nakajima
Mitsuru
M
Kishimoto
Tomoko
T
Inagaki
Jiro
J
Park
Young-Dong
YD
Kushibe
Keiji
K
Taniguchi
Shigeki
S
Nakagawa
Atsuko
A
Yoshioka
Akira
A
D000740:Anemia / Q000209:etiology; D044466:Asian People; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008480:Mediastinitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D008482:Mediastinum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012598:Sclerosis
D015415:Biomarkers; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
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