• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.36-42
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• 1991

We report 4 cases of malignant thymoma which were composed of 2 cases of invasive thymoma and 2 cases of thymic carcinoma. The cytologic findings of invasive thymoma were similar to those of benign thymoma. The distinctive cytologic features of thymic carcinoma were necrotic background, irregular clusters and individually scattered arrangement of anaplastic epithelial cells, and some scattered mature small lymphocytes. These findings may be found in the Hodgkin's lymphoma, seminoma, and metastatic squamous ceil carcinoma, undifferentiated carcinoma, and large ceil carcinoma of the lung. But, the feature of irregular clustering of anaplastic epithelial cell haying scanty cytoplasm was different from Hodgkin's lymphoma and seminoma. Clinical and radiologic findings as well as cytologic finding were helpful in differential diagnosis of thymic carcinoma from metastatic carcinoma.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.189-193
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• 1994

Malignant thymoma is usually manifested as a mediastinal mass. Occasiomally, these tumors may be associated with a variety of systemic syndromes, such as myasthenia gravis, pure red cell aplasia or hypogammaglobulinemia However, it is generally accepted that thymomas rarely metastasize and the frequency of extrathoracic metastasis has been reported as 1 to 15%. In general, nuclear changes of tumor cells such as enlarged size, irregular shape and altered textures are determining factors in the assessment of the grade of malignancy. We experienced a case of malignant thymoma of anterior mediastinum in a 35-year-old woman. After 3 years, she developed recurrent malignant thymoma in the right supraclavicular area, diagnosed by aspiration biopsy cytology.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.68-72
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• 2023

A 10-year-old castrated male Domestic Shorthair cat visited a veterinary medical teaching hospital for emergency dyspnea. The cat was hypoxic and hypotensive, and stridorous respiration was remarkable. Visual inspection confirmed laryngeal paralysis and a lack of mobility of the left larynx. Megaesophagus, aspiration pneumonia, cranial mediastinal mass, and positive Tensilon test results using neostigmine were observed, indicating acquired myasthenia gravis secondary to thymic neoplasia. After 10 minutes of neostigmine 0.02 mg/kg IV administration, laryngeal paralysis and dyspnea resolved. Histopathlogical examination for the cranial mediastinal mass after surgical resection confirmed malignant thymoma. Here, we report a case of acquired myasthenia gravis in a cat with a malignant thymoma that presented with life-threatening dyspnea due to laryngeal paralysis. Feline laryngeal paralysis is uncommon, and myasthenia gravis, a cause of laryngeal paralysis in cats, has not yet been reported. Myasthenia gravis should be considered in cats with laryngeal paralysis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.785-792
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• 1994

In this study, the authors analyzed the prognostic value of four clinical variables[age and sex of patients, association with myasthenia gravis and clinical stage] and histological type in 30 consecutive patients with thymoma, histologically classified as cortical[10],medullary[5] and mixed[15]type according to Marino and Muller-Hermelink classification. There were significant differences between the histological types in the frequency of the different tumor stages and myasthenia gravis and prognosis.Most of the cortical thymomas were at stage III and all of the medullary and most of the mixed tumors at stage I or II.Myasthenia gravis occurred more commonly in patients with cortical[30%] and mixed thymoma[60%] than in patients with medullary thymoma[10%]. Follow-up was conducted in 30 patients,with follow-up range from 3 months to 120 months[mean,47.3months]. 5 year actuarial survival was 100% for medullary thymoma, 73% for mixed thymoma, and 47% for cortical thymoma.The overall survival curve shows that 87.6% of the patients are alive at 2 years and 72.8% at 5 years. And 7 patients was dead during follow-up periods.By Kaplan-Meier technique, we found that the patients who had myasthenia gravis had better prognosis[P<0.05]. Medullary thymoma is a comparatively rare, benign tumor, and usually not associated with myasthenia gravis. Cortical thymoma must be regarded as malignant. Mixed thymoma is intermediate in its behavior between medullary and cortical thymoma. But these tumors should be considered potentially malignant despite of presence as stage I of II disease. Also, the patients with stageI,II had good prognosis and the patients with total resection had good prognosis[P<0.05].

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.268-273
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• 2001

Thymoma is the most common primary tumor of anterior mediastinum, accounting for 20% to 30% of all mediastinal tumors. The recurrence rate after total resection of the thymoma ranges 8% to 18%. We reported one patient of recurrent malignant thymoma imaged with Tc-99m MIBI, Tc-99m Tetrofosmin and Tc-99m (V) DMSA. Early and delayed Tc-99m MIBI and Tc-99m Tetrofosmin scintigraphies showed an increased uptake in the mediastinal area. Also, Tc-99m (V) DMSA scintigraphy revealed an increased uptake tn the corresponding area. Coronal SPECT images of Tc-99m MIBI, Tc-99m Tetrofosmin and Tc-99m (V) DMSA revealed increased uptake of each radiopharmaceutical in the tumor lesion corresponding to the mediastinal lesion on the chest CT. However, the normal blood pool activities of the heart and great vessels of Tc-99m (V) DMSA obscured the recurrent malignant thymoma. Although Tc-99m (V) DMSA is a useful tumor seeking agent, we recommend Tc-99m MIBI and Tc-99m Tetrofosmin SPECT rather than Tc-99m (V) DMSA to detect primary and recurrent malignant thymoma.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.36-42
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• 1990

The fluoroscopy-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy has been gaining widespread acceptance as a rapid and effective method to make a pre-operative diagnosis of mediastinal tumors including thymoma, malignant lymphoma, and metastatic carcinoma. Although thymoma is a most common tumor of the superior mediastinum, most cytopathologists are not experted in cytologic diagnosis of this tumor because of limited experience. In order to define the diagnostic cytologic features of thymoma, we have retrospectively reviewed imprinting smears and corresponding tissue sections from four cases of this tumor. All cases revealed an apparent biphasic pattern of epithelial cell clusters and lymphocytes with occasional branching capillary fronds extending from three dimensional epithelial cell clusters. Epithelial cell clusters predominated in one case and lymphocytes in two cases. Mixed epithelial cell and lymphocyte type represented in one of four cases. In the lymphocyte predominant type, the presence of epithelial cell clusters and small mature lymphocytes are helpful features to differentiate from a malignant lymphoma.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.382-385
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• 2004

Non-typhoid salmonella infection frequently associated with bacteremia rarely been reported in immunocom-promized patients with malignant neoplasms, diabetes or extended use of corticosteroids. Especially, concomitant pleural empyema and pericarditis due to non-typhoid salmonella. infection is extremely rare. Here, we report a case of concomitant empyema and pericarditis in malignant thymoma with pleural. metastasis complicated by salmonella group D infection with brief review of literature.

• 대한세포병리학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1991.06a
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• pp.7-8
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• 1991

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.297-302
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• 1994

This report is a review of 98 cases of the primary mediastinal tumors which are treated in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chonnam University Hospital from January, 1985 to February, 1993 and divided two groups. One group is from January, 1985 to January, 1989 and named it Group 1[G1]. Another group is from February, 1989 to February, 1993 and named it Group 2[G2]. Chest pain is the most common clinical manifestation in the two groups. The common mediastinal tumors are teratoma 11 cases[29.7%], neurogenic tumor 7 cases[18.9%], thymoma 6 cases[16.2%], primary cyst 3 cases[8.1%] in Group 1 and thymoma 16 cases[26.2%], teratoma 15 cases[24.6%], neurogenic tumor 9 cases[14.8%], primary cyst 9 cases[14.8%] in Group 2. Therefore this result shows that the incidence of thymoma is increased in group 2. In benign tumors, the subjective symptoms are 64.3% in group 1 and 63.6% in group 2. In malignant tumors, they are 100% in group 1 and 82.4% in group 2. this result shows that asymptomatic malignant tumors are increased in group 2. The successful excision is done in all of the 71 benign tumors except one. In malignant tumors, the complete surgical excision is increased from 11.1% in group 1 to 41.2% in group 2.

• 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.