A clinicopathological study of mediastinal masses operated in a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India in 3 years with special reference to thymoma

Introduction: The mediastinum is the central portion of the thoracic cavity, limited by pleural cavities laterally, thoracic inlet superiorly, and the diaphragm inferiorly. Housing numerous organs, it is a veritable Pandora′s box, within which various lesions may develop. This study was conducted to assess the epidemiologic profile, clinicoradiological features, cytological, and histopathological findings in patients presenting with mediastinal masses in a tertiary care hospital over a period of 3 years. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study of cases presenting with mediastinal masses attending the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department of Medical College, Kolkata between May 2011 and April 2014. Detailed history, physical, and radiological findings were noted. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) was performed when feasible. Following surgery, histopathological, and immunohistochemical (IHC) examinations of the specimens were undertaken. Results: Of the 22 cases included in our study, ten were anterior, seven middle, and five posterior mediastinal masses. Fifteen cases were male and seven were female. Thymic pathology was detected in seven cases, lymphoma in five, extragonadal germ cell tumor (GCT) in three, schwannoma and pericardial cyst in two cases each and neurofibroma, ganglioneuroma, and retrosternal thyroid in one case each. The age group of the patients for each diagnostic category was found to be of significance. FNAC was done in 15 cases. IHC was required for classification of lymphoma cases (CD45, CD15, CD30, CD20, CD3, Tdt, CD34, and Ki-67). Conclusion: This study reflects the incidence of different mediastinal masses in West Bengal with their clinicopathologic correlation

Malignant lymphoma in Eastern India: A retrospective analysis of 455 cases according to World Health Organisation classification

Background: Malignant lymphoma (ML) is one of the most common cancers and is most prevalent in developed countries. The distribution of different subtypes of ML varies in the different geographical locations according to World Health Organization (WHO) classification. Aims and Objectives: The study was aimed to analyze different patterns of ML in Eastern India and to compare it with other geographical locations. Materials and Methods: Four hundred and fifty five patients of two large hospitals in Eastern India were included over a period of four years and were categorized according to WHO classification, using morphology and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results: There were 347 (76.3%) non Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL), and 108 (23.7%) Hodgkin lymphomas (HL). Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was the most common of the NHL type (35.2%) followed by the follicular lymphoma (19.3%). B cell lymphoblastic lymphoma was the least common type of NHL (1.4%). Mixed cellularity (33.3%) and nodular sclerosis (26.9%) were the two most common type of HL. Childhood lymphoma comprised of 12.5% of all ML. T cell NHL and HL were the common lymphomas in this age group. Conclusion: Incidence of follicular lymphoma is lower compared to western studies and mixed cellularity is most common subtype of HL unlike nodular sclerosis subtype in western world. Burkitt′s type NHL though is the most common subtype of childhood ML in many studies but in our study T cell NHL is the most common type of childhood ML