[Extramedullary hemopoiesis presenting as a tumor of the posterior mediastinum in a patient with hemolytic anemia].

Extramedullary hemopoietic focus is a rare cause of tuberous enlargement of the posterior mediastinum. A 62-year-old man who had been diagnosed as having congenital spherocytic anemia 20 years ago, was admitted to hospital with initial diagnosis of pneumonia. Chest X-ray disclosed inflammatory infiltration in the lower lobe of the right lung and a tumor in the posterior mediastinum. Pneumonia subsided following treatment with antibiotics. Spiral computer tomography with concomitant transthoracic biopsy of the lesion, confirmed the presence of tumor located on the right side of the spinal column, as well as the presence of two minor focci on its opposite side. Cytological examination revealed extramedullary hemopoiesis. Differential diagnosis of tumor in posterior mediastinum, should take into consideration the possibility of extramedullary hemopoietic focci.