Conducting a CT-guided interventional procedure involving retrosternal pleural hydro-dissection of the juxta-aortic anterior mediastinum under local anesthesia revealed a rare histopathological condition known as benign mediastinal sclerosis. This challenging CT-guided intervention within the anterior mediastinum is scarcely documented in the existing scientific literature. In this presentation, we share our case along with relevant clinical data. What makes this case distinctive is that the clinicians initially questioned the representativeness of the biopsy sample we obtained. Consequently, an additional sample was acquired through a highly invasive video-assisted mediastinoscopy procedure under intubation anesthesia. Remarkably, this second sample yielded the same histopathological result.
Mediastinal sclerosis is an exceedingly rare condition, often referred to as the "burnt-out" stage of sclerosing mediastinitis. While infectious etiologies are frequently identified (Tab.1), the majority of cases remain idiopathic [23].