2200P - Spatiotemporal distribution of mediastinal neoplasms: A multi-center, hospital-based, systematic analysis

Background

Mediastinal neoplasms are typical but uncommon thoracic diseases with increasing incidence and unfavorable prognoses. A comprehensive understanding of their spatiotemporal distribution is essential for accurate diagnosis and timely treatment. However, previous studies are limited in scale and data coverage. Therefore, we delineate the distribution of mediastinal lesions within a substantial, nationwide, multi-institutional cohort, thereby providing valuable insights into this disease.

Methods

In this multi-center, hospital-based, observational study, we included 20 hospitals from 11 provinces in China. At each institution, a standardized retrospective search of electronic medical records between Jan. 1^st, 2009 and Dec. 31^st, 2020 was performed. We collected information on sociodemographic characteristics, CT images, and pathologic diagnoses. The incidence of mediastinal neoplasms was analyzed in terms of age, sex, time, compartment, and geographical region.

Results

Among 7,829 cases, the most common mediastinal lesions were thymomas (30.6%), benign mediastinal cysts (23.3%), and neurogenic tumors (10.0%). The distribution of these lesions varied significantly among mediastinal compartments, with thymomas (39.6%), benign cysts (28.0%), and neurogenic tumors (51.7%) being the most commonly observed lesions in the prevascular, visceral, and paravertebral mediastinum, respectively (P < 0.001). The occurrence of mediastinal lesions varied by age, with germ cell tumors being more frequently observed in patients younger than 18 and those aged 18-29 years, whereas thymomas occurred more often in patients over 30 (P < 0.001). Also, the lesion location was associated with age, with patients having paravertebral lesions being the youngest (P < 0.001). Spatial distribution analysis revealed that thymomas were the most common mediastinal lesions across different geographical regions.

Conclusions

This study revealed significant heterogeneity in the spatiotemporal distribution of mediastinal neoplasms. These findings provide useful demographic data when considering the differential diagnosis of mediastinal lesions, and would be beneficial for tailoring disease prevention and control strategies.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

The authors.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.