title: [Carcinoid thymus tumor at an advanced age: diagnostic value of mediastinal needle biopsy with computerized tomography].
abstract: Carcinoid tumour of the thymus is a rare neuroendocrine tumour particularly at an advanced age. The authors report a case of a mediastinal mass in a man aged 85, the mass had remained asymptomatic for a long time. It was decided to achieve a diagnosis because the tumour was causing local compression: a mediastinal needle biopsy under computerised tomographic control confirmed that this was a carcinoid tumour and a study of the biopsy material using an electron microscope showed neurosecretory granules. A sternotomy enabled the tumour to be excised but a post-operative Pseudomonas pneumonia led to the death of the patient. This case underlines the diagnostic place of mediastinal needle biopsy in the presence of a mediastinal tumour. The technique can be carried out under computerised tomography or ultrasonography and this can be associated with a study of the biopsy specimen using electron microscopy which enables the diagnosis to be made before any therapeutic decisions. The treatment of choice of a carcinoid tumour of the thymus is surgery which confirms the tumour limits and also its thymic origin. Tumour excision can be completed using radiotherapy or even chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Département des Maladies Respiratoires et Allergiques, Reims.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Perdu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lavaud
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masure
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prévost
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Delépine
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baehrel
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Adnet
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015641:Radiography, Interventional / Q000379:methods; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
vernacular_title: Tumeur carcinoïde du thymus à un âge avancé: intérêt diagnostique de la ponction-biopsie médiastinaie sous tomodensitométrie.