[Management of anterior mediastinal masses in adults]

The discovery of an anterior mediastinal mass requires careful management with specific consideration of the pathology. More than 50% of all mediastinal masses seen in adults are in the anterior mediastinum. The most frequent diagnoses are thymoma, lymphoma, teratoma and benign thyroid tumours. 60% of cases are malignant. Often the clinical and radiological findings do not allow a definitive diagnosis and a histological diagnosis is often required to select the optimal treatment modality. The choice of biopsy technique depends on the localization of the lesion, clinical factors, and the availability of special techniques and equipment. Biopsy may be obtained by trans-thoracic puncture under computed tomography or ultrasound guidance, or by a surgical approach (mediastinotomy or thoracoscopy).