title: Cytologic patterns of metastatic thymoma: diagnosis by fine-needle aspiration biopsy.
abstract: Thymomas are the most frequent primary tumors of the anterior mediastinum. These lesions are slow growing and can be locally invasive, but extrathoracic metastases are rare, occurring in less than 2% of cases. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) may be helpful in making the diagnosis of metastatic thymoma, with or without a clinical history of primary mediastinal thymoma. We report three cases of metastatic thymoma diagnosed by FNAB. Each case illustrates a distinctive cytologic pattern. While two of the patients had a history of histologically confirmed thymoma 11 and 13 years previously, a third patient presented with an enlarged supraclavicular lymph node and pulmonary nodules, and no prior diagnosis of thymoma. These cases demonstrate that based on distinctive cytologic patterns and features, a diagnosis of metastatic thymoma can be made with FNAB. Ancillary studies will often confirm the diagnosis.
authors: Department of Pathology, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153.
authors: V B
authors: VB
authors: Reddy
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Reyes
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Wang
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Walloch
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Doria
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Castelli
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Gattuso
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D003584:Cytological Techniques; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D013945:Thymoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary*