CT evaluation of cystic lymphangiomas of the mediastinum.

Two cases of cystic mediastinal lymphangioma are reported, one involving a 12-year-old boy and the other a 53-year-old man. In both cases a mediastinal mass was evident on plain chest radiographs, while CT scans demonstrated a well-circumscribed lesion of low attenuation molding to the mediastinal contours and enveloping the great vessels, suggesting the diagnosis. The display of the precise extent of the lesion in relation to the surrounding structures was helpful in planning surgery.