NEOPLASMS OF THE MEDIASTINUM IN INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD

Although new growths of the mediastinum are very rare in childhood, the possibility of their occurrence should be bone in mind in the differential diagnosis of obscure intrathoracic conditions. The finding, on operation, of a large tumor mass in this region, in a child of 8 years, which had escaped recognition for more than a year, though studied very carefully, clinically as well as roentgenologically, prompted me to review the subject and present a study of the case. The literature contains many articles on mediastinal neoplasms in general, without special reference to the young. Hare 1 presented a complete review of this subject, including patients of all ages. There have been, however, only a few studies of this condition in childhood by foreign writers, notably Schubert, 2 Rosenberg, 3 Bollog, 4 and Keating. 5 Up to the present time, as far as can be ascertained from a search of the