1.  In the absence of symptoms of an acute
upper respiratory infection, patients with
hoarseness persisting for more than two
weeks should be referred for a complete
otolaryngologic examination.
 Acute laryngitis, which is self-limited and
related to acute respiratory illness or acute
voice misuse

2.  Chronic laryngitis, which is related to
irritants, reflux, chronic infection (such as
fungal), or habitual vocal misuse.
 Benign vocal fold lesions, Polypoid
corditis, Polyps and nodules
 Malignancy
 Neurologic dysfunction, Unilateral & Bilateral
paralysis, Parkinson disease, Myasthenia gravis.

3.  The anterior compartment (also referred to as
the anterosuperior compartment or
retrosternal space) is anterior to the
pericardium and includes the thymus, the
extrapericardial aorta and its branches, the
great veins, and lymphatic tissue.

4.  The middle compartment is bounded by the
pericardium anteriorly, the posterior
pericardial reflection, the diaphragm, and the
thoracic inlet. This compartment includes the
heart, intrapericardial great vessels,
pericardium, and trachea.

5.  The posterior compartment extends from the
posterior pericardial reflection to the
posterior border of the vertebral bodies and
from the first rib to the diaphragm. It
includes the esophagus, vagus nerves,
thoracic duct, sympathetic chain, and
azygous venous system.

6.  The primary masses most often found in the
anterior compartment are thymic tumors
(thymomas, thymic carcinomas, thymic
carcinoid tumors, and thymolipomas), thymic
cysts, germ cell tumors, Hodgkin and non-
Hodgkin lymphomas,intrathoracic
goiter,thyroid tumors, parathyroid adenomas,
connective tissue tumors (eg, lipomas,
liposarcomas, lymphangiomas,
lymphangiohemangiomas, hemangiomas),
and pericardial cysts.

7.  Masses of the middle mediastinum include
thyroid tumor or goiter, tracheal tumors,
aortopulmonary paraganglioma (chemodectoma),
bronchogenic cysts, and lymphomas. A middle
mediastinal mass may also represent
lymphadenopathy as a result of infectious,
malignant (metastatic), and idiopathic (eg,
sarcoidosis) etiologies. Thymic masses and
pericardial cysts have been reported in the
middle mediastinum, however, these lesions
generally occur in the anterior mediastinum.

8.  The posterior mediastinum is the location of
most neurogenic tumors.esophageal tumors
and duplication cysts, hiatus hernia, and
neurenteric cysts.