• 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.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.

• 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.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.718-722
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• 1999

Thymoma is the most common tumor in the compartment of anterior mediastinum. The malignant thymoma is classified into invasive thymoma(category I) and thymic carcinoma(category II). Recently, well-differentiated thymic carcinoma is a proposed category 1.5 used to describe a subset of thymic epithelial tumors, allowing for the existence of intermediate form based on the clinical features and the histological characteristics. Thymic cyst is a congenital or a acquired disorder. Congenital thymic cyst may develop due to failure of the thymopharyngeal duct to obliterate and acquired thymic cyst develops from inflammation(multilocular thymic cyst), or neoplasm(cystic thymoma). Cystic degeneration in thymoma is a relatively frequent but focal event. In rare cases, the process proceeds to the extent that most or all of the lesion becomes cystic. Until now, well-differentiated thymic carcinoma with extensive cystic degeneration has not been reported in our country. We experienced a case of 14 year-old female patient showing extensive cystic degeneration in well-differentiated thymic carcinoma. And so we report it with review of the articles related.

• 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.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5581-5585
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• 2012

Objective: To explore the relationship between computed tomography (CT) manifestations of thymoma and its WHO pathological classification. Methods: One hundred and five histopathologically confirmed cases were collected for their pathological and CT characteristics and results were statistically compared between different pathological types of thymoma. Results: Tumor size, shape, necrosis or cystic change, capsule integrity, invasion to the adjacent tissue, lymphadenopathy, and the presence of pleural effusion were significantly different between different pathological types of thymomas (P<0.05). Type B2, B3 tumors and thymic carcinomas were greater in size than other types. More than 50% of type B3 tumors and thymic carcinomas had a tumor size greater than 10 cm. The shape of types A, AB, and B1 tumors were mostly round or oval, whereas 75% of type B3 tumors and 85% of thymic carcinomas were irregular in shape. Necrosis or cystic change occurred in 67% of type B3 thymomas and 57% of thymic carcinomas, respectively. The respective figures for capsule destruction were 83% and 100%. Increases in the degree of malignancy were associated with increases in the incidence of surrounding tissue invasion: 33%, 75%, and 81% in type B2, type B3, and thymic carcinomas, respectively. Pleural effusion occurred in 48% of thymic carcinomas, while calcification was observed mostly in type B thymomas. Conclusions: Different pathological types of thymic epithelial tumors have different CT manifestations. Distinctive CT features of thymomas may reflect their pathological types.

• 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.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.458-464
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• 2011

Background : Advanced thymic cancer still remains as an intractable disease. The survival rate of advanced thymic cancer could be increased through chemotherapy and radiation, but the results have not been satisfactory. Objectives : To see whether wheel balanced therapy (WBT) has the therapeutic effects or not on advanced thymic cancer patient. Methods : A patient diagnosed with progression of thymic carcinoma with pleura metastasis visited the East-West Cancer Center (EWCC) on Feb 9th, 2011. The patient was treated with WBT for a period of 9 weeks from Feb 9th to Apr 16th. She stayed 6 weeks in hospital and took oriental medicine prescribed by EWCC. Computed tomography (CT) and blood test were used to evaluate the disease progression of the patient. Results : Mass of chest CT was stable for 2 months. The patient's quality of life improved during her hospital stay. Conclusions : This case study supports WBT may have efficacy in treating advanced thymic cancer patients.

• 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.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.252-256
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• 2000

A thymic stromal cell line, TFGD, was established from a thymic tumor mass developed spontaneously in p53 knock out mouse, and was found to produce cytokines that could induce bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to differentiate into macrophages. The cytokines produced by the TFGD line were assessed by immunoassays. High level of macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) and interleukin (IL)-6 was detected in the TFGD-culture supernatant, whereas granulocyte/macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, or interferon (IFN)-$\gamma$ was undetectable. Blocking experiments showed that anti-M-CSF monoclonal antibody could neutralize the differentiation-inducing activity shown by the TFGD-culture supernatant. Dot blot analysis of the total RNA isolated from the cultured fetal thymic stromal cells showed that M-CSF transcripts were expressed in the normal thymus. These observations, together with the earlier finding that M-CSF plus IL-6 is the optimal combination of cytokines for the induction of macrophage differentiation from HSCs in vitro, may indicate that thymic macrophages could be generated within the thymus by cytokines involving M-CSF.