Giant lymphatic malformations of the mediastinum in children: report of three cases.
Lymphatic malformations are vascular malformations and consist of masses of abnormal lymphatic channels. They are uncommon in the mediastinum. We report three cases of giant mediastinum lymphatic malformations in children. One case developed two episodes of cardiopulmonary arrests, and the other two were first diagnosed and treated as pneumonia. They all recovered well after surgery. The diagnosis is rather important in lymphatic malformations. A delay in diagnosis of mediastinum lymphatic malformation increases the risk of death and prolonged clinical course. Thus, mediastinum lymphatic malformations should be kept in mind as a differential diagnosis of pneumonia and mass in the neck.