A Fat Density Mass in the Mediastinum.

Heo, Su Beom; Roh, Eun Suk; Kim, Dae Sung; Kim, Eui Hiung; Kang, Ji Ho; Lee, Sang Haak; Moon, Hwa Sik; Song, Jeong Sup; Park, Sung Hak; Park, Chan Beom; Lee, Bae Young; Kim, Hyeon Sook

doi:2005.58.2.188

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 58(2); 2005 > Article

Case Report

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2005;58(2):188-191.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2005.58.2.188 Published online February 1, 2005.

A Fat Density Mass in the Mediastinum.

Su Beom Heo, Eun Suk Roh, Dae Sung Kim, Eui Hiung Kim, Ji Ho Kang, Sang Haak Lee, Hwa Sik Moon, Jeong Sup Song, Sung Hak Park, Chan Beom Park, Bae Young Lee, Hyeon Sook Kim

¹Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. mdlee@catholic.ac.kr
²Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular surgery, The Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
³Department of Radiology, The Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

A 47-year-old female was admitted for an evaluation of a left mediastinal mass. The chest X-ray performed 16 months ago was normal, but the chest X-ray upon admission showed a large mass adjacent to the anterior aspect of the left hemidiaphragm. The CT scan demonstrated a large mass with a fat density in the left lower hemithorax. A focal diaphragmatic defect behind the xiphoid process was suspected. A thoracoscopic examination revealed omental herniation through the diaphragmatic defect. Therefore, a left thoracotomy was performed and the defect was repaired. We believe that a differential diagnosis should be needed to include a diaphragmatic omental hernia when a fat density mass is observed in the mediastinum.

Key Words: Diaphragmatic omental hernia, Mediastinal tumor, Fat