Mediastinitis overview
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Mediastinitis is inflammation of the tissues in the mid-chest, or mediastinum. It can be either acute or chronic.
Acute mediastinitis is usually bacterial and due to rupture of organs in the mediastinum. As the infection can progress rapidly, this is considered a serious condition. Chronic sclerosing (or fibrosing) mediastinitis, while potentially serious, is caused by a long-standing inflammation of the mediastinum, leading to growth of acellular collagen and fibrous tissue within the chest and around the central vessels and airways. It has a different cause, treatment, and prognosis than acute infectious mediastinitis.