title: Primary pleural thymoma.
abstract: An unusual thymoma is reported in a 32-year-old woman. The tumor presented as diffuse pleural thickening with encasement of the left lung. Computed tomographic scan and pleural biopsy of this pleural-based lesion were interpreted as favoring a diffuse pleural mesothelioma. After pleuropneumonectomy, pathologic examination revealed a characteristic epithelial thymoma. However, neither mediastinal involvement nor a concurrent mediastinal mass was found at surgery or by radiographic examinations. To our knowledge, only six previous cases of thymomas have been reported as pleural-based tumors for which a mediastinal origin could be excluded (namely, primary pleural thymomas). It is emphasized that in clinical and pathologic diagnosis of a pleural-based lesion thymoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Veterans General Hospital-Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Tiao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019412:Anatomy, Cross-Sectional; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000175:diagnosis; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013945:Thymoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed