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Abstract
Intrathoracic extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH), the formation of apparently normal
blood cells outside the confines of the bone marrow, is an uncommon but well-defined
entity. It is usually associated with hematologic disorders and located in the lower
paravertebral sulci or rarely in the pleura. We report a case of EMH, which presented
in a patient without hematologic disorders and was manifested as an anterior mediastinal
mass. The first interesting aspect of our case was that EMH occurred in a patient
with normal laboratory findings and no past medical history of anemia. The second
remarkable characteristic was that EMH manifested as an anterior mediastinal mass,
mimicking a neoplastic lesion. Definitive diagnosis of EMH was established by a video-assisted
thoracoscopic surgical biopsy. In light of this diagnosis, no further surgical procedure
was carried out.