Disease or Syndrome
mediastinitis
Subclass of:
Mediastinal Diseases
Definitions related to mediastinitis:
  • An inflammatory process affecting the mediastinum.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Inflammation of the mediastinum, the area between the pleural sacs.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • Mediastinitis is inflammation of the mediastinum. Acute mediastinitis usually results from esophageal perforation or median sternotomy. Symptoms include severe chest pain, dyspnea, and fever. The diagnosis is confirmed by chest x-ray or CT. Treatment is with antibiotics (eg, clindamycin plus ceftriaxone) and sometimes surgery.
    Merck Manuals
    Merck & Co., Inc., 2025
  • Mediastinitis is a life-threatening condition with an extremely high mortality rate if recognized late or treated improperly. Although long recognized as a complication of certain infectious diseases, most cases of mediastinitis are associated with cardiac surgery (>300,000 cases per year in the United States).
    Medscape
    WebMD, 2025
  • Mediastinitis, inflammation of the tissue around the heart, aortic artery, and entrance (hilum) to the lungs, located in the middle chest cavity. The mediastinum is essentially the space between the left and right lung; it contains all the organs and major structures of the chest except the lungs...
    Encyclopedia Britannica
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2025
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