title: Computed tomography and pathologic correlations of thymic lesions.
abstract: Computed tomographic and pathologic correlations of the thymus gland were assessed in 69 patients. The sensitivity of computed tomography (CT) for undifferentiated thymic pathology is 87.1%; the specificity is 85.7%. The sensitivity of CT for neoplasm or mass is 97.1%, the specificity is 97.1%. The sensitivity of CT for lymphoid follicular hyperplasia (LFH) is 71.4%, the specificity is 97.6%. Therefore, a normal-sized thymus gland on CT does not exclude LFH. Completely preserved fat planes between thymic mass and adjacent structures on CT usually indicate a benign (noninvasive) neoplasm; completely absent fat planes usually indicate a malignant (invasive) neoplasm; partially preserved fat planes are indeterminate in assessing invasiveness. CT is also useful in showing recurrence or remnants of thymic tissue in patients who have had a previous thymectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, Toronto General Hospital, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Weisbrod
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Herman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D008206:Lymphatic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013945:Thymoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed