Cervical Axillo-Mediastinal Lymphangioma With Tendency to Spontaneous Regression

Case Details

Personal Characteristics

29-year-old woman

Clinical Characteristics

A forward arching of the right cervical region and the right axilla, axillary and cervical swelling, widened upper mediastinum, firm elastic, roundish growth about the size of a mandarin orange in the axilla, filled with opaque substance

Remission Characteristics

Spontaneous regression of the cystic tumor, especially the cervical and mediastinal part

Treatment & Mechanisms

Proposed Remission Mechanisms

Not discussed

Clinical Treatment

Surgical removal of the persistent axillary cyst was not carried out

Additional Notes

The lymphography of the arm revealed normally wide lymph vessels with the correct number of valves. In the axilla, however, only 2 conductors could be found. The thinner one goes round the caudal pole of the cyst whereas the thicker one obviously leads directly into the cyst. The newly carried-out x-ray shows that the shadow of the upper mediastinum has disappeared. It only reveals a flat arching of the right suprahilar mediastinum. The computer tomogram before and after intravenous administration of opaque substance is interesting. The space-absorbing process is located in the front part of the mediastinum. Before the injection of the opaque substance the density of the tumour was 38H, afterwards 82H. That leads to the conclusion that the process is strongly vascularized and probably contains hemangiomatous elements.