title: Two surgical cases of thymic MALT lymphoma associated with multiple lung cysts: possible association with Sjögren's syndrome.
abstract: Thymic mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is rare. Sjögren's syndrome (SjS) has strong association with thymic MALT lymphoma but the exact etiology is unknown. On the other hand, SjS is characterized by the complication of various lung manifestations, including lung cysts. The mechanism for these lesions is also unknown. But the underlying SjS could result in MALT lymphoma with lung cysts. Herein, we demonstrate two surgical cases of thymic MALT lymphoma associated with multiple lung cysts and the characterization of this rare tumor. During surgery, the tumors were found to be well capsuled and had no adhesion or invasion to the surrounding tissues consistent with its characteristics of low grade malignancy. When thymic MALT lymphoma is suspected clinically, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery might be the best approach for diagnosis. We propose that radiological findings of a thymic tumor along with lung cysts are an indication of thymic MALT lymphoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Kanagawa Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, 6-16-1 Tomiokahigashi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-8651, Japan. hiromasa@jg7.so-net.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Hiromasa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Kanagawa Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, 6-16-1 Tomiokahigashi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-8651, Japan.
authors.forename: Michihiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tajiri
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Kanagawa Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, 6-16-1 Tomiokahigashi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-8651, Japan.
authors.forename: Shotaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Kanagawa Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, 6-16-1 Tomiokahigashi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-8651, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kushida
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Kanagawa Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, 6-16-1 Tomiokahigashi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-8651, Japan.
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Yokohoma City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan.
authors.forename: Takayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tachibana
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Yokohoma City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeaki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Umeda
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Yokohoma City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okudela
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kanagawa Cardiovascular and Respiratory Center, 6-16-1 Tomiokahigashi, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-8651, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.affiliation: Departoment of Surgery, Yokohoma City University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Japan.
authors.forename: Munetaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masuda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003560:Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D018442:Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Lung cyst; MALT lymphoma; Sjögren’s syndrome (SjS); Thymus; Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)