title: Computed tomography of the abnormal thymus.
abstract: Computed tomography (CT) should be the imaging method of choice following plain chest radiographs when a suspected thymic abnormality requires further evaluation. Based upon a six-year experience, including the evaluation of 25 patients with thymic pathology, CT was found useful in suggesting or excluding a diagnosis of thymoma and in distinguishing thymic hyperplasia from thymoma in patients with myasthenia gravis. The thickness of the thymic lobes determined by CT was found to be a more accurate indicator of infiltrative disease (thymic hyperplasia and lymphoma) than the width. CT was helpful in differentiating benign thymic cysts from solid tumors, and in defining the extent of a thymic neoplasm. On occasion, CT may suggest the specific histologic nature of a thymic lesion.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; 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