title: ITMIG Classification of Mediastinal Compartments and Multidisciplinary Approach to Mediastinal Masses.
abstract: Division of the mediastinum into specific compartments is beneficial for a number of reasons, including generation of a focused differential diagnosis for mediastinal masses identified on imaging examinations, assistance in planning for biopsies and surgical procedures, and facilitation of communication between clinicians in a multidisciplinary setting. Several classification schemes for the mediastinum have been created and used to varying degrees in clinical practice. Most radiology classifications have been based on arbitrary landmarks outlined on the lateral chest radiograph. A new scheme based on cross-sectional imaging, principally multidetector computed tomography (CT), has been developed by the International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group (ITMIG) and accepted as a new standard. This clinical division scheme defines unique prevascular, visceral, and paravertebral compartments based on boundaries delineated by specific anatomic structures at multidetector CT. This new definition plays an important role in identification and characterization of mediastinal abnormalities, which, although uncommon and encompassing a wide variety of entities, can often be diagnosed with confidence based on location and imaging features alone. In other scenarios, a diagnosis may be suggested when radiologic features are combined with specific clinical information. In this article, the authors present the new multidetector CT-based classification of mediastinal compartments introduced by ITMIG and a structured approach to imaging evaluation of mediastinal abnormalities.©RSNA, 2017.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 1478, Houston, TX 77030 (B.W.C., M.F.B., M.G., P.M.d.G., M.T.T.); Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass (R.M.); Department of Radiology, Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, Mo (M.L.R.d.C.); and Department of Radiology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel (E.M.M.).
authors.forename: Brett W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 1478, Houston, TX 77030 (B.W.C., M.F.B., M.G., P.M.d.G., M.T.T.); Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass (R.M.); Department of Radiology, Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, Mo (M.L.R.d.C.); and Department of Radiology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel (E.M.M.).
authors.forename: Marcelo F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Benveniste
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 1478, Houston, TX 77030 (B.W.C., M.F.B., M.G., P.M.d.G., M.T.T.); Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass (R.M.); Department of Radiology, Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, Mo (M.L.R.d.C.); and Department of Radiology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel (E.M.M.).
authors.forename: Rachna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Madan
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 1478, Houston, TX 77030 (B.W.C., M.F.B., M.G., P.M.d.G., M.T.T.); Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass (R.M.); Department of Radiology, Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, Mo (M.L.R.d.C.); and Department of Radiology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel (E.M.M.).
authors.forename: Myrna C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Godoy
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 1478, Houston, TX 77030 (B.W.C., M.F.B., M.G., P.M.d.G., M.T.T.); Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass (R.M.); Department of Radiology, Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, Mo (M.L.R.d.C.); and Department of Radiology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel (E.M.M.).
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: de Groot
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 1478, Houston, TX 77030 (B.W.C., M.F.B., M.G., P.M.d.G., M.T.T.); Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass (R.M.); Department of Radiology, Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, Mo (M.L.R.d.C.); and Department of Radiology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel (E.M.M.).
authors.forename: Mylene T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Truong
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 1478, Houston, TX 77030 (B.W.C., M.F.B., M.G., P.M.d.G., M.T.T.); Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass (R.M.); Department of Radiology, Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, Mo (M.L.R.d.C.); and Department of Radiology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel (E.M.M.).
authors.forename: Melissa L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rosado-de-Christenson
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Unit 1478, Houston, TX 77030 (B.W.C., M.F.B., M.G., P.M.d.G., M.T.T.); Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Mass (R.M.); Department of Radiology, Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, Mo (M.L.R.d.C.); and Department of Radiology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel (E.M.M.).
authors.forename: Edith M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Marom
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008482:Mediastinum / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging