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Incidental mediastinal masses detected at low-dose CT screening: prevalence and radiological characteristics

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Japanese Journal of Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The primary and secondary aims were to investigate the prevalence of incidental mediastinal masses on low-dose chest CT examinations during health check-ups, and to review the radiological characteristics of prevascular mediastinal masses, respectively.

Materials and methods

This retrospective study included 38,861 participants (mean age: 57.1 years; range: 21–99 years; men: 51.3%; never-smokers: 57.4%) who underwent low-dose chest CT examinations between January 2011 and December 2016. All images with incidental mediastinal masses were reviewed, and prevascular mediastinal masses were assessed for qualitative and quantitative imaging characteristics by two radiologists. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed in clinical and CT features between some combinations of participants.

Results

Overall, 653 participants (1.68%, 653 of 38,861) had incidental mediastinal masses; 578 in prevascular mediastinum, including 93 intrathymic cysts and 24 thymic epithelial tumors. Presence of mediastinal mass was not significantly associated with sex (p = 0.089) and smoking history (p = 0.098) but with age (p < 0.001). Significant differences were found between intrathymic cysts and thymic epithelial tumors in terms of shapes (p = 0.049), contours (p = 0.018), and CT values (p = 0.012).

Conclusion

The prevalence of asymptomatic mediastinal masses on low-dose chest CT was 1.68%. CT values, shapes, and contours may effectively distinguish intrathymic cysts from thymic epithelial tumors.

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Funding

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, St. Luke’s International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-8560, Japan

    Ryo Miyazawa, Masaki Matsusako & Taiki Nozaki

  2. Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, St. Luke’s International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-8560, Japan

    Daiki Kobayashi

  3. Department of Epidemiology, St. Luke’s International University Graduate School of Public Health, 3-6-2, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan

    Daiki Kobayashi

  4. Fujita Health University, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukake-cho, Toyoake, Aichi, 470-1192, Japan

    Daiki Kobayashi

  5. Department of Thoracic Surgery, St. Luke’s International Hospital, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-8560, Japan

    Fumitsugu Kojima & Toru Bando

  6. Department of Radiology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan

    Ukihide Tateishi

Authors
  1. Ryo Miyazawa
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  2. Masaki Matsusako
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  3. Taiki Nozaki
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  5. Fumitsugu Kojima
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  7. Ukihide Tateishi
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Correspondence to Masaki Matsusako.

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Ethical statement

The study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of our institution and the need to obtain informed consent was waived based on the retrospective design.

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Miyazawa, R., Matsusako, M., Nozaki, T. et al. Incidental mediastinal masses detected at low-dose CT screening: prevalence and radiological characteristics. Jpn J Radiol 38, 1150–1157 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-020-01015-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-020-01015-2

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