What is Mediastinal Lipoma?
Mediastinal lipoma is a rare type of tumour of the chest and usually presents itself with shortness of breath. These are usually benign (non-cancerous) tumours.Causes
Mediastinal lipoma is a rare type of tumour which is formed due to the accumulation of adipose tissues (fat) within the mediastinum. Risk factors for the development of mediastinal lipoma are obesity, diabetes mellitus, and use of the steroid, alcohol consumption and Cushing’s disease.Signs and Symptoms
The patient may suffer from the following signs and symptoms. These are- Dyspnea (difficulty in breathing)
- Pain in the chest
- Difficulty in swallowing
Diagnosis
The following diagnostic tests and procedures can be used to make a diagnosis. These are;- Imaging techniques like Chest X-ray, CT-scan, MRI, and PET scan to see the site, size, and extent of the tumour.
- Tumour biopsy (tumour biopsy to remove a small sample of tissue for histopathological examination)
- Sputum cytology
- USG-guided fine needle aspiration cytology