Imaging of the Middle and Visceral Mediastinum

The visceral mediastinum contains important vascular and non-vascular structures including the heart, great vessels, lymph nodes, and portions of the esophagus and trachea. Multiple imaging modalities, including chest radiography, computed tomography, MR imaging, and nuclear medicine studies, can be used to detect, diagnose, and characterize masses in this compartment. Lymphadenopathy is the most common process involving the visceral mediastinum and can be seen with a wide variety of diseases. Less commonly seen entities include foregut duplication cysts, neoplasms and other lesions arising from the trachea and esophagus, paragangliomas as well as other mesenchymal tumors.