title: Ectopic thymoma of the lung; a rare case report and review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ectopic thymoma is a rare neoplasm, which can be developed in various sites, with the lung being amongst the rarest.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this paper, we present the case of a woman with a slow-growing ectopic thymoma, stemming from the visceral pleura of the upper lobe of the left lung anteriorly, extending into the left lung and the cardiac wall, invading the fatty tissue near the pericardium, notably without infiltrating the lung or cardiac parenchyma. The thymoma was successfully removed via thoracotomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ectopic thymoma is an uncommon neoplasm. To our knowledge, a case of an ectopic thymoma stemming from the visceral pleura of the lung is extremely rare.
authors.affiliation: 7th Hospital of Social Security Institute, Surgical Department of Thorax and Vascular Surgery, Kautazoglou 11 str, Athens,111-44, Greece.
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Skoutelis
authors.forename: Dimitrios D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Nikolopoulos
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Markopoulos
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chabipi
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stoungioti
authors.forename: Miltiadis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Papastamatiou