title: [Primary mediastinal sarcomas].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Primary sarcomas of the mediastinum are rare and account for 2 to 8% of malignant mediastinal tumours. The aim of this study is to describe their clinical and pathological characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen cases of primary mediastinal sarcoma, diagnosed between 1993 and 2009, were reviewed retrospectively, noting the clinical, radiological and pathological findings, and the treatment given.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patient population consisted of eight females and seven males with mean age of 40 years (14 to 73 years). The symptomatology was predominately respiratory. Imaging showed a mediastinal mass invading adjacent organs in nine cases. The diagnosis was made in all cases by histological examination. These 15 mediastinal sarcoma comprised 12 malignant peripheral nerve tumours, two liposarcomas and one angiosarcoma. Three were grade III, six grade II and six grade I. Ten were treated surgically, of which seven had radical resections. Associated treatments were neoadjuvant (one case) or adjuvant (one case) chemotherapy and postoperative radiotherapy (five cases). Radiotherapy was undertaken alone in three inoperable tumours. Eight patients (53%) had died.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Management of primary mediastinal sarcoma needs a multidisciplinary approach, and is based mainly on radical resection. The prognosis is poor and depends mainly on surgical excision and histological grade.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Anatomie et de Cytologie Pathologiques, Hôpital Abderrahman Mami, Ariana, Tunisie. alia.zehanikassar@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zehani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ayadi-Kaddour
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Daghfous
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ridene
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marghli
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kilani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: El Mezni
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006394:Hemangiosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008080:Liposarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010524:Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult