title: Giant mediastinal teratoma presenting with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
abstract: Mediastinum is a common site where benign tumors, like teratomas, can develop. Usually, these lesions do not cause any symptoms and the diagnosis is reached accidentally. As they enlarge they may cause symptoms by compressing the nearby structures of the thorax, mostly the trachea and the bronchi. Extrinsic compression of the heart or the great vessels appears to be a very rare occurrence. Atrial fibrillation as the first clinical presentation of left atrial compression by a giant mediastinal teratoma is extremely uncommon and very few cases have been described in the English literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of CardioThoracic Surgery, Theagenio Cancer Hospital, Al. Symeonidi 2, 54007 Thessaloniki, Greece. asteriouchris@yahoo.gr
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Asteriou
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Barbetakis
authors.forename: Athanassios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kleontas
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Konstantinou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D013614:Tachycardia, Paroxysmal / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013724:Teratoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome