Approach to Imaging of Mediastinal Masses
Jean-Jacques Monsuez
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
This paper is a well-written textbook chapter or pictorial essay on differential diagnosis of medicinal masses. Images are very good.
Author Response
Reviewer has not asked for any revision.
Reviewer 2 Report
In this submission Ahuja, et al provide an extensive review on diagnosis of mediastinal masses, on their classification, and on the imaging approaches to ascertain the diagnosis. This is an outstandingly comprehensive review which is easy to read, very easy to understand, and clearly didactic for a broad readership, especially physicians not specifically involved in the field. The submission displays many high quality figures, making most diagnostic issues and features clear for the readership.
The submission is properly structured with an introduction summarizing the topographical classification, followed by a description of imaging methods used, and a approach of the diagnosis of most mediastinal masses encountered in patients.
One minor comment about the imaging techniques described. They don't include transthoracic (TTE)and transesophagal (TEE) cardiac echography. It may be useful adding a few comments on these examinations, with an argumentation based on 2 points:
1 TTE is the first exam performed by cardiologists, who are in charge of many patients and often in charge of patients with thoracic diseases. Also they often discover mediastinal masses during routine follow up of their patients or during exploration of an unexplained symptom
2 Echocardiography is usually helpful in diagnosis and evaluation of hemodynamic complications of intracardiac extension of mediastinal masses. e.G Eur Heart J 1991; 12:464
In conclusion, the submission by Ahuja, et al may be of interest for a broad readership for 2 reasons:
1 very didactic with a comprehensive approach of comments and figures
2 very synthetic, useful for many physicians
Author Response
Added three sentences and two references (highlighted) to the manuscript as per the reviewer’s comments.
