title: Recurrent invasive thymoma with pleural dissemination : disease management and treatment possibilities.
abstract: Thymoma is the most common benign neoplasm of the anterior mediastinum presenting often an agressive behaviour typical for the malignants tumors. The rate of invasive thymoma recurrency is relatively high. We present the case of a 55-year old man with a recurrent invasive thymoma with a pleural dissemination, detected on CT-imaging 2 years following his primary surgery. Since the first pre-operative imaging studies showed no invasion of the adjacent organs and a thymoma was suspected, a surgical resection was decided as a first line treatment. Per-operatively a number of adjacent structures were invaded and despite a macroscopical RO resection, the margins were microscopically positive. An invasive thymoma, WHO classification B3, Masaoka stage IVb was diagnosed and the patient received adjuvant radiotherapy. We highlight the role of multimodality treatement and disscus the potential of surgical, radiotherapeutical and systemic therapy in stage IV thymoma as well as in recurrent disease.
authors.affiliation: Departement of Head and Neck and Thoracic surgery, Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Konecna
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Willemse
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lefebvre
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Wind
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andry
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000379:methods*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed