• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.325-328
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• 2002

The neuroendocrine tumor is a rare thymic neoplasm, which has been regarded as a distinct tumor from thymoma and originates from Kultschizky cell. The pathologic diagnosis of thymic neuroendocrine tumor has been on findings from light microscopy, immunohistochemical studies, and electron microscopy. About 50% of thymic carcinoids are seen with endocrinopathies. Recurrence and extrathoracic metastasis are characteristics of thymic carcinoids. Surgical removal of the initial and recurred tumor is considered to be the most effective treatment. The role of the adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy is still uncertain. Herein we report a case of thymic neuroendocrine tumor, which was resected surgically.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.571-583
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• 1983

Thymic tumor is the most common neoplasm originating in the anterior mediastinum. Histologically, thymic tumors and tumorlike conditions have been classified into thymic cyst, thymolipoma, true thymic hyperplasia, thymoma and carcinoid tumor of the thymus gland. We have experienced several tumors and a few tumorlike conditions of the thymus gland in 10 patients: thymoma 6, thymic hyperplasia 2, carcinoid tumor 1 and thymic cyst 1. The age distributions were ranging from 30 to 60 years except for one 3 year old child [malignant thymoma, lymphocytic type], and male to female ratio was 1:1.5. In 6 cases, thymic lesions were removed through lateral thoracic incision [right 2, left 4] because the mediastinal masses were growing far into the pleural space, meanwhile, medially located lesions [4 cases] through median sternotomy incision. Among these 10 patients, 3 were malignant thymomas, in which 2 were died of recurrence after tumor resection. Myasthenia gravis was all noted in 3 females [thymoma 2, thymic follicular hyperplasia 1], in which only two revealed remission in symptoms following thymectomy. The authors would like to recommend early radical thymectomy through median sternotomy incision whenever patients demonstrate suspicious thymic tumor lesions on the chest roentgenogram or generalized myasthenic symptoms.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.736-743
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• 1986

Thymus gland is a kind of endocrine organ which secretes thymosin and thymoprotein. There can be developed variable lesions like thymoma, thymic hyperplasia, thymic cyst, thymolipoma, and carcinoid tumor of the thymus gland. We have experienced 25 patients of thymic disease: thymoma 12, thymic hyperplasia 11, thymic cyst 1, carcinoid tumor 1. The age distribution were ranged from 3 to 66 years and the sex ratio was 1:1.8 [male to female]. Thymectomy was performed in all cases, but 3 cases with deep infiltration to the adjacent structures were not resectable completely. Malignancy [all thymoma] were 5 and the rest were benign. Two cases were died of recurrence after tumor resection. Myasthenia gravis occurred in 10 cases. Among them, 2 were thymoma and 8 were thymic hyperplasia. We could obtained the result that thymectomized cases reached 2 remission and 5 improvement. Myasthenia gravis treated medically [18 cases] had no remission and only 2 clinical improvement. In the light of these results, early radical thymectomy would be most favorable treatment in not only thymic tumor, but generalized myasthenia gravis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.319-323
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• 1998

Thymic carcinoid tumor is a rare mediastinal tumor, which was firstly described by Rosai and Higa in 1972. A carcinoid tumor of the thymus has recently been regarded as a distinct tumor from thymoma, and is probably Kultschizky cell origin. The pathologic diagnosis of thymic carcinoid is made from findings from light microscopy, immunohistochemical studies and electron microscopy. About 50% of thymic carcinoids were seen with endocrinopathies. Recurrences and extrathoracic metastasis are characteristics of thymic carcinoids. Surgical removal of the intial and tumor recurred are considered to be the most effective treatment today. However, the role of the adjuvant radiotherapy and the chemotherapy is still uncertain. Herein we report a case of thymic carcinoid tumor, which was confirmed by operation and pathologic study.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.75-79
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• 2003

Ectopic cervical thymic tumor, first described in 1941 by Boman, is a rare tumor of the neck displaying the same histologic features as mediastinal thymoma. It was classified into benign thymoma, invasive (or malignant) thymoma, thymic carcinoma histopathologically and clinically. The ectopic cervical thymic tumor is misdianosed as the thyroidal mass on radiologic examination and FNA cytology due to its rarity and unusual location. Recently, we have experienced two cases of ectopic cervical thymic tumor misdiagnosed as thyroid mass ; a case of thymic carcinoma;the other of invasive thymoma. So, we report these cases with review of the literature.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1236-1239
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• 1992

Carcinoid tumors arising in the thymus are rare. Since Rosai and Higa in 1972 distinguished these neoplasms from thymomas, fewer than 100 cases have been reported in the world literature. The pathologic diagnosis of thymic carcinoids is been on findings from light microscopy, histochemical studies, and electron microscopy. About 50% of thymic carcinoids are seen with endocrinopathies. Recurrence and extrathoracic metastasis are characteristic of thymic carcinoids. Surgical extirpation of the tumor initially and of the subseguent recurrences in the most effective treatment today The role of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy is still uncertain. Herein we report a case of thymic carcinoid tumor in a 36-year old male with brief review of literatures.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.634-637
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• 2002

Thymic carcinoid or neuroendocrine tumor of thymus is a very rare disease and has poor prognosis due to frequent recurrence and distant metastasis. A 43-year-old man was refered to our hospital because of Rt. chest pain and tightness. Chest X-ray revealed $7{\times}8$cm sized mass on Rt. anterior mediastinum. Surgical excision was performed and light microscopic, immunohistochemical and electron microscopic findings were confirmed as atypical thymic carcinoid tumor with thymic cyst. The patient has been followed up without recurrence or distant metastasis postoperatively for 3 months to now. We report a case of atypical thymic carcinoid with thymic cysts.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.887-890
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• 2001

Neuroendocrine tumor in thymus is rare and has poor prognosis due to frequent recurrence and distant metastasis. Approximately half of thymic carcinoids are hormonally active and Cushing\`s syndrome is seen in 33% of affected patients. Treatment of choice is surgical excision of tumor and role of chemotherapy and radiotherapy is controversal. We report 2 cases of thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma associated with Cushing\`s syndrome.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.497-501
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• 1994

We have experienced a case of primary thymic carcinoma. A 39 year old female patient admitted with incidentally detected mediastinal mass on chest film.The tumor showed invasion to surrounding tissues and the mediastinal lymphadenopathies were also noted. Invasion to contiguous mediastinal structures made complete surgical extirplation impossible and the biposy findings revealed primary thymic carcinoma. Primary thymic carcinoma is a rare neoplasm originating from the thymic epithelial cells. Clinical behavior of the thymic carcinoma is much different from it`s benign counterpart and several pathologic variants were reported.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.266-273
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• 2002

The dose dependence of the severity of radiation-induced thymic lymphoma in C57BL/6J mice was studied. Mice were exposed to fractionated irradiation at the total doses of 4.0, 6.0 and 8.0 Gy (four irradiations at 8-day intervals) starting from 33 days after birth. Pathological and histological changes of each mouse were observed after periodical sacrifice at day 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, 200, 250, 300 after the first irradiation. The severity of cancers were classified into 4 stages by clinical signs with respect to the enlargement of the thymus, spleen, liver, the progression of the cancer in the thymus, and the metastasis to the spleen, liver, lung and the lymphatic nodes. Among the 490 mice observed, 146 mice had thymic lymphoma. A clear dose-effect relationship was observed as well as the dose-response relationship. Also, periodical observation showed that thymic lymphoma was first induced in mice sacrificed at day 100 (130days old), and metastasize in the order of spleen, lung, liver and then the lymphatic nodes. The results suggest that radiation may be involved not only as a tumor initiator but also as a tumor promoter, and a tumor progression-enhancing agent.