Abstract

AIM: Solid mediastinal masses in children occur more frequently in the posterior mediastinum. We review eight children with posterior mediastinal masses (mean age 4.8 years)treated by a single institution over a 10-year period (1990-2000). MATERIAL and METOD: Half of the patients presented with neurologic symptoms related to spinal cord compression. Tumors were of neurogenic origin in all patients and neuroblastoma was the most common. FINDINGS: All but one of the 8 patients is alive. Four of them including patients with ganglioneuroma and two patients with dumbbell type neuroblastoma are disease free (two patient 10 year, one patient 7 year and one patient 2 year). The tumor is in the stage of regression in the remaining four including one with distant metastasis. CONCLUSION: Posterior mediastinal masses should be totally excised if distant metastatic disease is not present. Otherwise surgical approach to these masses should include biopsy for histopathologic diagnosis. The results of treatment are good even in malignant tumors.