Echocardiographic Manifestations of Mediastinal Masses Compressing or Encroaching on the Heart

Because of its central position within the thorax, the heart can be encroached upon by masses originating in either anterior, posterior, or superior mediastinum. A distinction may be made between (A) Encroachment: distortion or partial displacement of one or more cardiac chambers by a contiguous mediastinal mass, without adverse hemodynamic effects, and (B) Compression: resulting in clinical manifestations similar to tamponade. Transthoracic and, recently, transesophageal echocardiography have been found useful in detecting mediastinal masses, the information obtained being complementary or preliminary to more complete imaging by CT or MRI. Anterior masses tend to compress the right heart chambers; posterior masses impinge on or compress the left atrium or ventricle, particularly the former. The wide variety of echographic appearances are briefly reviewed. Recently TEE has made it possible to diagnose masses obstructing the superior vena cava or pulmonary veins. A common, though little known, type of posterior mediastinal encroachment that echocardiographers need to be aware of is that of abnormal esophageal/gastric masses including hiatus hernia and esophageal carcinoma, which have typical two-dimensional echo features and may sometimes simulate left atrial masses.