title: Ectopic thymic carcinoma presenting as an intrathoracic mass.
abstract: An asymptomatic 83-year-old man was found to have a right intrathoracic tumor. Computed tomography demonstrated a soft-tissue density mass measuring 55 × 25 × 22 mm adjacent to the right anterior chest wall. At surgery, the tumor was found to adhere to the diaphragm and right lung, contiguous with the mediastinal fat tissue. Histology of the resected specimen demonstrated proliferation of spindle and sarcomatous cells with multinucleated giant cells. Thus the tumor was diagnosed as undifferentiated thymic carcinoma and was considered to have arisen from ectopic thymic tissue. At 2 years postoperatively, the patient had no evidence of recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Hospital Organization Himeji Medical Center, Himeji City, Hyogo, Japan katccha@ares.eonet.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Katsunari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Hospital Organization Nagara Medical Center, Gifu City, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshitake
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Hospital Organization Himeji Medical Center, Himeji City, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Hospital Organization Himeji Medical Center, Himeji City, Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D002828:Choristoma; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D000072078:Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013934:Thymectomy; D013945:Thymoma / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013950:Thymus Gland; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor
keywords: Diagnosis; Thoracic neoplasms; Thymoma; differential