Mediastinal involvement in adults with lymphoblastic lymphoma

Radiologic, clinical, and pathologic findings are described in 6 young adults with lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL), an aggressive tumor which has recently become recognized as a serious threat to adults as well as to children. Each patient presented with a mediastinal mass, three of them developing cardiac tamponade and one a superior vena cava syndrome. CT scanning and echocardiography were particularly helpful in defining the lesions. The rapid dissemination of LBL, and its early progression to a leukemic phase call for prompt diagnosis and treatment.