Abstract
A thymic carcinoma is a rare malignant neoplasm of the thymus epithelium, which can be distinguished from a benign or invasive thymoma. Contrary to a thymoma, the association of a thymic carcinoma and autoimmune disease is rare, with only a few cases having been reported. Herein, a case of thymic carcinoma diagnosed concurrently with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is reported. A 49 year-old man presented at our clinic with myalgia. He was diagnosed with SLE, based on an oral ulcer, lymphopenia, and positive ANA and anti-Sm antibodies. Incidentally, a routine chest X-ray showed a large mediastinal mass. Pathological examination of the mediastinal mass revealed an undifferentiated thymic carcinoma, of WHO classification type C. Further work-up for staging showed multiple bone and lung metastases. With a palliative aim, he received systemic chemotherapy, but refused further chemotherapy after the $2^{nd}$ course. Currently, the patient has not been followed up since the chemotherapy.
흉선암종은 드문 종격동의 악성 종양으로서 흉선상피세포에서 기원하지만 흉선종과는 조직학적 특징이 다르다. 흉선종이 자가면역질환을 종종 동반하는데 반해 흉선암종에서 자가면역질환이 동반되는 예는 드물다. 국내에서는 흉선암종과 자가면역질환이 동반된 예가 보고된 적이 없는데 저자들은 전신 근육통을 주소로 내원한 49세 남자 환자가 전신홍반루프스와 흉선암종을 동시에 진단받고 항암치료를 시작한 1예를 경험하였기에 문헌 고찰과 함께 보고하는 바이다.
