Mediastinal masses

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The plain chest roentgenogram is still the basic tool for identifying many conditions. It may reveal unexpected disease, such as a mediastinal mass, in an asymptomatic patient. In other cases, symptoms related to obstruction of major mediastinal structures such as the trachea, superior vena cava, and esophagus may suggest the need for computed tomography, fluoroscopy, and other radiologic studies. These noninvasive techniques may permit definition of a mass that does not require surgical removal.