1995 Volume 9 Issue 2 Pages 135-139
During the past 45 years at our institute, we have surgically treated 108 children 15 yr of age or younger with primary mediastinal tumor. Then age distribution of patients with neurogenic tumors was such that 12 (86%) of 14 patients with malignant tumors were 3 yr or younger and 31 (91%) of 34 patients with benign tumors were over 3 yr of age. There was no sex difference in any kind of mediastinal tumor. All benign tumors were completely resected, and except for one child with von Recklinghousen's disease, all survived. A follow-up of patients with malignant tumors showed that 4 (18%) of 11 patients with neuroblastoma and all 3 patients with ganglioneuroblastoma survived for 22 years after surgical resection. One of 3 patients with invasive thymoma and the patient with carcinoid have been alive for 15 years since surgical resection. Treatment for malignant lymphoma included chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Only 2 (14%) of 14 patients with malignant lymphoma survived for 9 years ; their disease was limited to the mediastinal lymph nodes ; Stage 1, and 12 (86%) died within 2 years. The treatment of choice for mediastinal tumors was mainly surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
