[Tumors and pseudotumors of the mediastinum].

Space occupying lesions of the mediastinum are relatively common. They represent a wide spectrum of diseases including highly malignant tumors requiring immediate further diagnostic and therapeutic procedures as well as clinically insignificant findings and normal variants. This review provides an overview of different mediastinal tumors and pseudotumors. Furthermore, it aims at enabling the reader to classify mediastinal lesions according to the pathogenesis and clinical significance. Localization of the lesion within a specific mediastinal compartment may suggest the etiology and thus the differential diagnosis. Also, morphological imaging criteria may suggest the diagnosis. The reader of this review should be able to reliably classify mediastinal lesions which exhibit these specific features without histological examination.