EXTRAMEDULLARY HEMATOPOIETIC TUMORS OF THE POSTERIOR MEDIASTINUM RELATED TO ASYMPTOMATIC REFRACTORY-ANEMIA

Two asymptomatic paravertebral thoracic masses in a 65-year-old patien t with isolated macrocystosis. The largest one measured 8 cm and was s urgically resected with a presumptive diagnosis of schwannoma. This th oracic mass was hemorrhagic, encapsulated, and composed of fat and hem atopoietic tissue. While extramedullary hematopoietic tumors usually o ccur in patients with severe chronic hemolytic anemia, our report sugg ests that such lesions must be considered in the differential diagnosi s of posterior mediastinal mass in patients without clinically evident anemia.