Pulmonary metastasis 12 years after resection of thymoma with microscopic capsule invasion.
We report on a 50-year-old female who developed pulmonary metastasis 12 years following the resection of a thymoma with microscopic capsular invasion. The patient was found to have a mediastinal mass at the age of 18 years; however, she refused to undergo surgery. At the age of 38 years, the patient underwent surgery for resection of the tumor; it was diagnosed as a macroscopically encapsulated thymoma with microscopic capsular invasion. Multiple pulmonary metastases occurred 12 years following the resection of the tumor; all the metastatic masses were resected. Although the patient suffered from myasthenia gravis 4 months following the resection of pulmonary metastases, she remains free of myasthenia gravis with no recurrence of tumor at 2 years post-surgery. Long-term follow-up is essential for the detection of recurrence after resection of a thymoma with microscopic capsular invasion, and surgery could be the best treatment for distant metastasis in case of resectable lesions.
Nomori
Hiroaki
H
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Saiseikai Central Hospital, 1-4-17 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0073, Japan. hnomori@qk9.so-net.ne.jp
Watanabe
Kenichi
K
Ohtsuka
Takashi
T
Naruke
Tsuguo
T
Suemasu
Keiichi
K
Orikasa
Hideki
H
Yamazaki
Kazuto
K
D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011729:Pyridostigmine Bromide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013934:Thymectomy; D013945:Thymoma / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*
D002800:Cholinesterase Inhibitors; D011729:Pyridostigmine Bromide