[Hemodynamic cardiovascular effects caused by mediastinal tumors]

From 1972 to 1985 158 patients (pts.) were operated because of a mediastinal tumor at the Dept. of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Düsseldorf. The tumor led to hemodynamic effects in 11 pts. (8 female, 3 male). In 6 pts. occurred a passive congestion of the upper caval vein (malignant teratoma 2 X, malignant thymoma 2 X, Boeck's disease 1 X, Non Hodgkin's disease 1 X), 4 pts. had a functional stenosis of pulmonary artery (dermoid 2 X, benign thymoma 2 X) and 1 pt. had pericardial effusion by a neurinoma. Being operated all pts. with 'pulmonary stenosis' were free of complaints, while all other pts. had infaust prognoses.