Fibrosing mediastinitis

Definition

Fibrosing mediastinitis, also known as sclerosing mediastinitis or mediastinal fibrosis, is a disorder characterised by an excessive fibrotic reaction in the mediastinum. It can result in compromise of airways, great vessels, and other mediastinal structures, with morbidity directly related to the location and extent of fibrosis. The commonest cause is histoplasmosis, of which it is a rare late complication, but it may also occur in association with other infections and with systemic autoimmune disorders such as Behçet disease, granulomatosis with polyangiitis and retroperitoneal fibrosis.

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