J Korean Soc Radiol.  2010 Nov;63(5):445-448. 10.3348/jksr.2010.63.5.445.

Intrathoracic Paraspinal Mesothelial Cyst: A Report of Two Cases

• Oh SW
• Choi YW
• Jeon SC
• Heo JN
• Park CK
• Paik SS
• Chung WS
• Chon SH

• KMID: 2097915
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jksr.2010.63.5.445

Abstract

Intrathoracic mesothelial cysts are congenital developmental cysts usually located in the anterior cardiophrenic angle region (so called, pericardial cysts). We report two rare cases of an intrathoracic paraspinal mesothelial cyst which was purely cystic and had no perceptible cyst wall on CT or MRI with histopathologic findings.

MeSH Terms

Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Mediastinum
Neoplasms, Mesothelial
Pleura
Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Figure

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  Fig. 1 T1- (A) and T2-weighted (B) MRI at the level of the T3 vertebra show a small well-circumscribed cyst (arrows) with signal characteristics similar to water in the right paraspinal area. Note that there is no perceptible cyst wall, vertebral abnormalities, or continuity with the pericardium, esophagus, or airway. C. Noncontrast thin-section CT at the same level shows a water attenuation mass abutting the right anterolateral side of the vertebra. D. Photomicroscopic image of the resected specimen shows a layer of flat or cuboidal cells lining the cyst wall (Hematoxylin and Eosin stain; original magnification, ×400). The lining cells were positive for keratin and negative for the lymphocyte marker (not shown), which was consistent with the mesothelial cyst diagnosis.

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  Fig. 2 Noncontrast (A) and contrast-enhanced (B) CT at the level of the T7 vertebra shows a well-demarcated, non-enhancing, water attenuation mass (arrows) just lateral to the vertebral body. The mass had no connection with the pericardium (closed arrowhead), esophagus (open arrowhead), or airway, excluding the diagnosis of pericardial cyst, esophageal duplication cyst, or bronchogenic cyst.

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