title: Dermal thymus. A light microscopic and immunohistochemical study.
abstract: Two rare cases of distinctive thymic remnants occurring in the skin are described. The lesions were present at birth, and involved the side of the neck. One child had a complete cleft lip and palate. The other had multiple congenital anomalies consistent with a rare syndrome entitled branchio-oculo-facial syndrome. Microscopically, lobular foci were present in the dermis and consistent with both prethymic and thymic remnants. Immunohistochemical studies using antibodies to T cells and B cells showed a distribution similar to that seen in normal thymus. Dermal thymus appears to be a distinct entity and may be associated with other faciobranchial defects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of California Irvine Medical Center 92668.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Santa Cruz
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pearl
mesh_terms: D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002828:Choristoma / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009333:Neck; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D013950:Thymus Gland