Presentation
Presented with several weeks of increased difficulty breathing. Littermate had a thymoma removed.
Patient Data
There is a soft tissue mass in the cranial mediastinum as well as in the dorsal portion of the mid thorax causing ventral and caudal displacement of the tracheal carina. There is also severe atelectasis of all lung lobes. There are multifocal patchy infiltrates or nodules within all the lung lobes as well. The margins of the diaphragm can also not be identified clearly. The right 10th - 13th ribs are fractured with minimal displacement.
The lesion is highlighted here showing the extent of the mass and relationship to the lungs and heart.
There is a large heterogenous infiltrative mass in the dorsal mediastinum, which is surrounding the aorta and esophagus, and adjacent to the heart and diaphragm.
The mass within the fatty mediastinum occupies the majority of the thoracic cavity. The lungs are overlaying the mass. There are tan circular lesions on the surface of the lungs.
Case Discussion
The cranial mediastinal mass is most likely lymph node origin. Differential diagnoses include infectious inflammatory disease (fungal) and lymphoma.
On necropsy, there was disseminated cryptococcosis in the lymph nodes, lung, brain, and heart.
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