Primary thymic mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma: diagnostic tips.
Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma arising in the thymus is extremely rare and little is known regarding its clinicopathological features. This study examined the clinicopathological features of nine cases of thymic MALT lymphoma. Most patients had autoimmune disease or hyperglobulinemia, and they also had cysts in the tumors. Both increased serum autoantibody levels and polyclonal serum immunoglobulin levels remained essentially unchanged after total thymectomy in all patients. Thymic MALT lymphoma needs to be included in the differential diagnosis in Asian patients with a cystic thymic mass accompanied by autoimmune disease or hyperglobulinemia.
Shimizu
Kimihiro
K
Division of Thoracic and Visceral Organ Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan. kmshimizu@gmail.com
Yoshida
Junji
J
Kakegawa
Seiichi
S
Astumi
Jun
J
Kaira
Kyoichi
K
Oshima
Kiyohiro
K
Miyanaga
Tomomi
T
Kamiyoshihara
Mitsuhiro
M
Nagai
Kanji
K
Takeyoshi
Izumi
I
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018442:Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
C415943:API2-MALT1 fusion protein, human; D001323:Autoantibodies; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; D012333:RNA, Messenger