What is mediastinal lymphadenopathy?
mediastinal lymphadenopathy is an enlargement of lymph nodes located in the mediastinal part of the chest, an area in the middle that separates the lungs. The magnification is usually diagnosed through the chest X -ray. Mediastinal lymphadenopathy is not the disease itself, but a symptom of another disease. Causes include infections, several types of cancer and other diseases. Treatment depends on the basic cause.
Lymph nodes are small round or oval mass formed by lymphatic tissues surrounded by connective tissue. They are located in many places throughout the body and play a major role in the immune system by storing cells that can capture cancer cells or bacteria. Enlarged lymph nodes usually indicate the presence of infection, cancer or other diseases.
Several different types of infectious diseases can cause mediastinal lymphadenopathy. The two most common types are tuberculosis and fungal infections, including histoplasmosis and coccidioidomycosis. Tuberculosis is an infectious bacterial diseaseIt primarily infects the lungs but can spread to other organs. Histoplasmosis is caused by breathing in Histoplasma pockets in the droppings of land or birds, and above all affects farmers, construction workers or professions that include close contact with the sources of the fungus. Coccidioidomycosis is also caused by mushrooms found in the soil and is most common in the southwestern United States, Central America and South America.
lung cancer is the main type of cancer that can cause mediastinal lymphadenopathy, and the disease usually spreads to the lymph nodes in front of other parts of the body. Once lung cancer is diagnosed, additional imaging tests are used to determine whether cancer spreads to the lymph nodes. This can also help determine how advanced cancer is. Breast cancer and esophageal cancer can also cause mediastinal lymphadenopathy.
mediastinal lymphadenopathy can be thatKé present in several types of less common diseases, including Castleman's disease and Wegener's granulomatosis. Castleman's disease is a rare disorder with an unknown cause that affects the lymph nodes and the immune system. Wegener granulomatosis, also rare, reduces blood vessels and produces granuloma, a type of inflammatory tissue that can destroy normal tissue.
As soon as the basic cause of mediastinal lymphadenopathy is treated, lymph nodes should return to their normal size. In bacterial and fungal infections, antibiotics or antimyko are usually prescribed. If the lymph node itself is ill, as in the case of cancer or Castleman's disease, surgical node removal may be required.