CASE-REPORT - ENLARGEMENT OF A MEDIASTINAL MASS DURING TREATMENT FOR HODGKINS-DISEASE MAY BE DUE TO ACCUMULATION OF FLUID WITHIN THYMIC CYSTS

A patient with Hodgkin's Disease (HD) is described as one in whom a me diastinal mass showed progressive enlargement during the first two cyc les of chemotherapy owing to accumulation of fluid within thymic cysts . This phenomenon was identified by computed tomography. Dependence on plain radiography would have led to an erroneous diagnosis of progres sive HD. We suggest that in all cases of mediastinal HD, apparent fail ure to respond to treatment must be further investigated by computed t omography or magnetic resonance imaging. Such a policy should avoid un necessary changes in therapy when enlargement of thymic cysts causing mediastinal widening is mistakenly interpreted as being due to progres sive disease.