Pediatric Malignant Mediastinal Masses

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical spectrum and outcome-associated variables of pediatric malignant mediastinal masses in a resource-limited setting. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, The Children's Hospital, Lahore, from October 2016 to November 2017. METHODOLOGY: Children with malignant mediastinal masses were enrolled. The variables studied were median age at presentation, gender distribution, immunisation status, socio-economic background, causes of delayed presentation, presenting complaints, complications of disease, methods for mass biopsy, final diagnosis, staging, and outcome of the disease. Results were described in terms of descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The median age at diagnosis was 7.5 years with male-to-female ratio of 2:1. The commonest presenting complaint was fever (82%), respiratory distress (58%), and lymphadenopathy (51%). Seventy-eight percent patients belonged to lower socio-economic class. Eighty-six percent of patients had delayed presentation to the tertiary care hospital and the most common reason was delayed diagnosis by the medical professionals (49%). Fifty-one percent patients had weight-for-age less than 5th percentile. Common complications were airway obstruction (35%), pericardial effusion (19.6%), superior vena cava syndrome and gross pleural effusion (13.7% each). Commonest diagnosis was T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (35%) followed by lymphoblastic lymphoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma (15.7% each). Fourtyfive percent patients expired, 2% defaulted treatment and 5.9% completed treatment; 25% patients were under treatment, 3.9% patients had progressive disease while outcome of 17.6% of patients could not be known. The most significant factor associated with the outcome primary diagnosis (p<0.001), delayed presentation (p=0.007) and educational status of the family. CONCLUSION: The pattern of clinical presentation, complications and diagnoses of pediatric malignant mediastinal masses showed some variation from the already reported. Low literacy rate and delay in presentation are common and contribute significantly to the poor outcome.