Ectopic thymus presenting as neck mass.
A 3-month-old girl presented with an asymptomatic soft tissue mass in the right neck. Her preoperative data were normal. CECT of the neck showed a 3-cm solid mass with homogeneous mild enhancement without mass effect. CECT of the thorax showed a normal thymus. MR images showed a right submandibular mass with signal intensity identical to that of the mediastinal thymus. Although it was difficult to make a correct preoperative diagnosis, surgical microscopic examination demonstrated normal thymic tissue. Because ectopic thymus can occasionally present with life-threatening symptoms, and malignant transformations have been documented, complete excision of cervical ectopic thymus was advocated.
Kakuno
Yoshiteru
Y
Department of Pathology, Osaka Medical College.
Yamada
Takashi
T
Mori
Hiroshi
H
Matsuki
Mitsuru
M
Narabayashi
Isamu
I
D002828:Choristoma; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009333:Neck; D013364:Submandibular Gland Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D013950:Thymus Gland; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed