Mediastinal shift

What it means

A deviation of the mediastinum from its normal position in the midline of the thoracic cavity. The mediastinum is a compartment of the thoracic cavity that contains the heart and its blood vessels, the esophagus, trachea, thymus, as well as nerves and lymph nodes.

Since the pleural cavity is confined by the rib cage, large pleural effusion may push the structures in the thoracic cavity to the opposite side resulting in a shift of the upper and lower mediastinum. Other etiologies are also observed. See Figures 1 and 2 of PMID:35990927 or Figure 1 of PMID:37680422.

Rare diseases that can present with this1

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category