title: An unusual case of thymic carcinoma with endobronchial metastases manifesting as centrilobular opacities.
abstract: We report a case of a 75-year-old man having unusual manifestation of thymic carcinoma associated with endobronchial metastases. To our knowledge, endobronchial metastases secondary to thymic carcinoma has not been reported in the literature. On high-resolution computed tomograms, the tree-in-bud centrilobular opacities caused by metastatic cells accumulating within the small bronchioles is indistinguishable from that caused by inflammatory process. Thus, in patients with thymic carcinoma and persistent tree-in-bud centrilobular opacities, endobronchial metastatic disease should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Radiology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hung-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Cheng-Ping
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ching
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tzao
authors.forename: Wen-Chiung
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Hsian-He
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Cheng-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013945:Thymoma / Q000473:pathology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed