title: Cardiac tamponade as a presentation of malignant thymoma.
abstract: Morphologic, cytochemical and immunocytochemical studies of pericardial fluid from a 30-year-old man presenting with cardiac tamponade are described. Based on the results of the immunocytochemical studies and the histologic examination of excised pericardium, a diagnosis of malignant thymoma was made. This is the first documented case in which malignant cells were found in the pericardial effusion in a patient with invasive thymoma. The significance of using a multidisciplinary approach to the study of body fluids is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance 90509.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Venegas
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade; D002466:Cell Nucleolus / Q000473:pathology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000473:pathology; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000473:pathology*; D010496:Pericardium / Q000473:pathology; D013945:Thymoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology