[Imaging of Mediastinal Tumors]

In computed tomography, the mediastinum is split into ventral prevascular, middle visceral and dorsal paravertebral compartments. Each compartment contains specific tumours which will be presented and discussed briefly. The focus is on image-based analysis of morphological signs to differentiate between entities using X-rays, ultrasound, CT and MRI. It is however difficult to differentiate between various types of lesions based on morphology and to estimate the grade of malignancy. For this reason, functional imaging techniques like PET and MRI are essential tools for detailed and non-invasive work-up. If a histological tissue examination is required, these tissue samples can be acquired using CT guided biopsies with high diagnostic yield and low complication rates.