Hepatic mass. Functioning metastatic thymoma 22 years after radiation therapy.
A 62-year-old woman presented with respiratory distress, fatigue, diplopia, and difficulty in swallowing. Liver imaging and CT of the abdomen both revealed an intrahepatic defect (although an angiogram was reported as normal). The patient recalled having had radiation therapy 22 years previously. A review of the record at that time revealed that a thymoma had been present in the mediastinum; it had been irradiated, but not resected. The patient rapidly deteriorated. At autopsy, the hepatic mass represented a metastatic thymoma. The functional nature of the metastatic tumor mass (myasthenic symptoms) was unusual, as was the long latent period after irradiation of the primary.
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013945:Thymoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary*; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D013997:Time Factors