title: Clinical value of the WHO classification system of thymoma.
abstract: Since the World Health Organization (WHO) histologic classification system for thymoma was introduced in 1999, several centers have published results using this system. This review of the published experience with the WHO system examines whether the classification is reproducible, whether the WHO system defines clinically distinct patient groups, assesses the independent prognostic value of the WHO type by multivariate analysis, and discusses the impact of the WHO system on clinical management decisions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8062, USA. frank.detterbeck@yale.edu
authors.forename: Frank C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Detterbeck
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019090:Case Management; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D018450:Disease Progression; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000209:etiology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013945:Thymoma / Q000145:classification* / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000145:classification* / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D014944:World Health Organization