Spontaneous regression of an invasive thymoma.
Although there are many reports of spontaneous regression of noninvasive thymoma, there are no reports of spontaneous regression of an invasive thymoma. Moreover, the mechanism of the spontaneous regression is still unknown. The present case concerns a 47-year-old man who presented with chest pain. Computed tomography (CT) showed a large anterior mediastinal mass with left pleural effusion that occluded the innominate vein. The tissue obtained by video-assisted thoracic surgery suggested a diagnosis of invasive thymic carcinoma. One month later CT showed prominent regression of the tumor, and the tumor was completely resected. On pathology, the diagnosis was thymoma type B3.
Respiratory Disease Center, Division of Thoracic Surgery, Kitano Hospital Medical Research Institute, Osaka, Japan. yutaka@kve.biglobe.ne.jp
Yojiro
Y
Yutaka
Mitsugu
M
Omasa
Kei
K
Shikuma
Masato
M
Okuda
Toshihiko
T
Taki
D002637:Chest Pain / Q000209:etiology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; D013945:Thymoma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery