Cancer Lymphoma Diagnosis Mediastinal Lymphadenopathy Why the Lymph Nodes in Your Chest Might Be Enlarged By Indranil Mallick, MD twitter linkedin Indranil Mallick, MD, DNB, is a radiation oncologist with a special interest in lymphoma. Learn about our editorial process Indranil Mallick, MD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Doru Paul, MD on November 04, 2019 Doru Paul, MD, is triple board-certified in medical oncology, hematology, and internal medicine. He is an associate professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and attending physician in the Department of Hematology Oncology at the New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. Learn about our Medical Review Board Doru Paul, MD on November 04, 2019 Print Mediastinal lymph nodes are lymph nodes located in the mediastinum. The mediastinum is the area located between the lungs which contains the heart, esophagus, trachea, cardiac nerves, thymus gland, and lymph nodes of the central chest. The enlargement of lymph nodes is referred to as lymphadenopathy. Mediastinal lymphadenopathy generally suggests a problem related to lungs, whether benign or malignant. Verywell / Joshua Seong Causes There can be many different reasons why mediastinal lymph nodes become enlarged. The most common causes include: Acute lymphoblastic leukemiaAnthracosis ("miner's lung")Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)CoccidioidomycosisCystic fibrosisEsophageal cancerHistoplasmosisLung cancerLymphomaSarcoidosisTuberculosis From a global perspective, mediastinal lymphadenopathy is primarily associated with tuberculosis given the high rate of infection (10 million per year). In the United States, it is most commonly associated with lung cancer and COPD. Diagnosis If the cause of the mediastinal lymphadenopathy is uncertain, your doctor may order a procedure known as mediastinoscopy with biopsy. This involves a small surgical cut made just above the sternum or breastbone. A fiber-optic instrument called a mediastinoscope is then inserted through the incision and passed into the mid-part of the chest to obtain a sample of one or several lymph nodes. The procedure is performed in a hospital under general anesthesia. The results are usually ready in five to seven days. A less invasive procedure is known as fine needle aspiration (FNA) in which a long needle is inserted through the chest cavity into a lymph node to extract cells. Investigating Cancer Lymph nodes are small structures located in clusters throughout the body through which toxins and pathogens can be filtered. Mediastinal lymph nodes are typically the first ones that cancer cells from the lungs will trap, providing doctors the means to know if cancer is spreading. When the mediastinal lymph nodes are enlarged due to a malignancy, lung cancer and lymphoma are the two most likely causes. However, in some cases, the enlargement may not be related to a primary cancer of the lungs but rather to metastatic cancer that has spread from another part of the body to the lungs. In this instance, the lung malignancy would be considered secondary cancer. The location and number of affected lymph nodes are also central to the staging of cancer, a classification system that determines how advanced malignancy is, which treatments should be administered, and what outcomes can be expected. Significance in Lymphoma Lymphoma, a cancer of a type of white blood cells called lymphocytes, can be categorized as either Hodgkin lymphoma or non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Mediastinal lymphadenopathy is one of the ways to differentiate two diseases. Mediastinal lymphadenopathy occurs in over 85% of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) cases compared to only 45% with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Moreover, the pattern of enlargement tends to be orderly and progressive with HL and more scattershot with NHL. While chest imaging can identify suspicious-looking lymph nodes, a definitive diagnosis can only be made by biopsy. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Limiting processed foods and red meats can help ward off cancer risk. These recipes focus on antioxidant-rich foods to better protect you and your loved ones. Sign up and get your guide! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Piccaluga PP, Agostinelli C, Gazzola A, et al. "Pathobiology of Hodgkin Lymphoma." Adv Hematol. 2011;2011:920898. doi: 10.1155/2011/920898. Kirchner J, Kirchner EM, Goltz JP, Obermann A, Kickuth R. Enlarged hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. J Med Imaging Radiat Oncol. 2010;54(4):333-8. doi:10.1111/j.1754-9485.2010.02179.x Mehrian P, Ebrahimzadeh SA. Differentiation between sarcoidosis and Hodgkin's lymphoma based on mediastinal lymph node involvement pattern: Evaluation using spiral CT scan. Pol J Radiol. 2013;78(3):15-20. doi:10.12659/PJR.889056