title: PET scan evaluation of thymic mass after autologous peripheral blood stem-cell transplantation in an adult with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: We report the case of a 31-year-old man with anaplastic large-cell lymphoma successfully treated with chemotherapy who showed mediastinal widening 5 months after autologous stem-cell transplantation. CT scan and PET evaluations were consistent with the diagnosis of benign thymic hyperplasia. Because of the rapid and aggressive course of this type of lymphoma, and the progressive widening of the mass at CT scan, we performed a mediastinal biopsy that confirmed these findings, showing normal thymic tissue. This is the first case of benign thymic hyperplasia defined with FDG-PET and confirmed by histologic evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Haematology Department of Florence, Azienda Ospedaliera Careggi, Università degli Studi, Policlinico Careggi Viale Pieraccini, 85, 50132 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pagliai
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rigacci
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Briganti
authors.forename: Catia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dini
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castagnoli
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vaggelli
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bosi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D036102:Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013952:Thymus Hyperplasia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18