A Case of Angiomyolipoma of the Posterior Upper Mediastinum

Angiomyolipoma (AML) is uncommon outside the kidney, and it rarely occurs in mediastinum. This article presents a case of posterior upper mediastinal AML with a review of the literature on angiomyolipoma. A 56-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with 8-month history of cough and chest pain. Radiology showed a mass in the posterior upper mediastinum. Left thoracotomy was done for surgical removal of the tumor. Pathologic findings revealed an AML tumor in the left paravertebral and posterior upper mediastinal regions with massive infiltration of the intercostal nerves and subtle invasion of the adjacent thoracic spinal canal. This case is the third reported AML of posterior upper mediastinum. To prevent misdiagnosis, it is suggested that AML could be considered for the differential diagnosis of mediastinal tumors.(Tanaffos 2002; 1(2): 57-63)