Mediastinal Diseases, Tumors, and Masses

Overview of the mediastinum

The mediastinum consists of most parts of the chest that are not taken up by the lungs or the heart and its associated large blood vessels. It is an area that in healthy individuals is filled with fatty tissue, connective tissue, lymph node tissue, and an organ called the thymus.

Why choose Stanford Health Care?

Stanford thoracic surgeons evaluate and treat a high volume and wide variety of mediastinal diseases. Since many of these lesions are benign, minimally invasive approaches, which allow for less discomfort and faster recovery, can often be utilized. As in all areas of thoracic surgery, Stanford thoracic surgeons have sub-specialty training in the surgical management of mediastinal tumors and diseases. They have far more experience with these relatively rare diseases than general surgeons and even cardiothoracic surgeons at surrounding community hospitals. For example, in the past year alone, Stanford thoracic surgeons have removed or biopsied 204 mediastinal masses—a very large volume of these cases for a single institution.