Mediastinal lymph node metastases from gastrointestinal carcinoma.

Mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy secondary to gastrointestinal metastases rarely have been reported and have been considered to occur only in conjunction with lymphangitic lung spread. The current report is of 15 cases of hilar and mediastinal metastases secondary to pancreatic, gastric, and colonic primary tumors. In only three of these cases was lymphangitic lung involvement noted. Possible pathways of spread of these tumors to the mediastinal lymph nodes are discussed.