Análisis y seguimiento de pacientes con tumores mediastinales egresados de los hospitales metropolitanos de Costa Rica durante 1996

summary: even though mediastinal tumors have been rarely studied in costa rica, our impression as clinicians is that we are seen more patients with this type of growths and that these are more frequently malignant. objective: to study all the patients in the whole country discharged with the diagnosis of "mediastinal tumor" and lo follow them for 5 full years. according lo the findings epidemiological conclusions were drawn as well as the natural history of the tumors in relationship lo the treatment prescribed. methods: all the patients discharged during 1996, from the 4 main referral centers from costa rica with a mediastinal tumor were studied and followed for 5 complete years. results: a total of 101 individuals were diagnosed, 58 women and 43 men, 52 had malignant tumors and 48 had benign tumors. women had more thymomas, cysts, and neurogenic tumors and men had more germinal cell growths. the national incidence for the 1996 population was 2.9 and that for san jose was 5.18 adjusted for its population then. however limon, puntarenas and guanacaste had lower rates than the national average. all benign tumors, thymomas and malignant neurogenic tumors were resected, although the latter were also treated with chemo and radiotherapy if needed. for some of the germinal cell tumors and for lymphomas chemo and radiotherapy was prescribes as well. during the follow up period 6 patients died, all had malignant disease and as for remaining 46 that are still alive5 had developed metastatic spread. conclusion: our incidente of mediastinal tumors and their malignancy rate is high in comparison with internacional reports found in the literature. these figures are more apparent for the province of san jose. the findings are shown according lo different variables and the tumor's response lo the treatments administered. the convencional chest x-ray is still of paramount importance in the diagnosis of mediastinal tumors.