title: Resection of giant right-sided thymoma using a lateral thoracotomy approach followed by median sternotomy for completion thymectomy.
abstract: A 48-year-old woman was diagnosed with a giant, 20 x 18 x 9 cm, right-sided thymoma. A right posterolateral thoracotomy was performed to resect this lesion. The pathological diagnosis revealed a stage I thymoma according to Masaoka et al. [1]. Although, in general, a sternotomy approach is preferred for thymectomies, because of its sheer size, this tumor was approached through a right thoracotomy. Recurrent thymomas originating from remnants of the thymus gland have been described in several individual case reports. Apart from these experiences, recent studies indicate a significant increase in the risk of recurrence for thymomas larger than 8 cm. In our patient, the remaining thymus gland portions were removed through a midline sternotomy. There is no information in the literature how often a thoracotomy has had to be chosen over a preferred sternotomy as the initial surgical procedure in order to resect a giant thymoma.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA. jgotte@notes.cc.sunysb.edu
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gotte
authors.forename: T V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Bilfinger
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery; D013908:Thoracotomy; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000379:methods*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*