title: [Carcinoid tumor of the thymus].
abstract: Carcinoid tumor of the thymus is a rare tumor. It is difficult to detect thymic carcinoid tumors by conventional chest X-ray films. As a result many cases of thymic carcinoid tumor are discovered at an advanced stage. While it is difficult to make a definitive pathological diagnosis preoperatively, percutaneous needle biopsy by Surecut needle is possible. Median sternotomy is better than thoracotomy, as thymectomy and lymph nodes dissection are necessary. Of the 6 cases of thymic carcinoid tumors, 5 were diagnosed as atypical carcinoid histologically, and in 3 of those 5 cases lesions resembling small cell carcinoma were observed in some specimen. The causes of these advanced atypical thymic carcinoid cases were not good.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kiguchi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takizawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ebihara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011859:Radiography; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*