A surgically treated case of capsulated thymoma with thymic cyst

A 56-year-old woman was pointed out an abnormal shadow on chest roentgenogram. Chest CT and MRI showed a solid mass with a cyst at right anterior mediastinum. Clinical diagnosis was thymoma with cyst, and surgical excision was performed. The histopathological examination of the resected specimen demonstrated that the epithelia of the cyst wall was single cuboidal or squamous cells and contained some foci of thymic tissue. The solid mass was capsulated and predominantly composed of lymphocytes. The pathological diagnosis was a thymoma (predominantly lymphocytic type) with thymic cyst. She is doing well for 10 years postoperatively.     

Invasive thymoma with thymic cyst; report of a case

A 27-year-old woman was pointed out an abnormal shadow on chest X-ray in 1999. Because of the enlargement of the chest abnormal shadow, she was admitted to our hospital in 2000. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed anterior mediastinal solid mass with cystic lesion. A thymoma was suspected. The tumor was removed in June 2000, through a longitudinal incision of the sternum. There was a severe adhesion between the tumor and the right brachiocephalic vein. Histological examination revealed a thymoma with thymic cyst. The thymoma had a capsular invasion (stage II). There were few reports for cases of thymoma with thymic cyst.     

Regression of thymoma associated with a multilocular thymic cyst: report of a case

A 28-year-old male was diagnosed with acute pericarditis after presenting with acute chest pain, fever and an abnormality in an electrocardiogram. No symptoms suggestive of myasthenia gravis were observed. Although the symptoms were alleviated by antibiotics, computed tomography (CT) showed an anterior mediastinal mass with bilateral pleural effusion. He was, therefore, diagnosed with thymoma and referred to our hospital. Surgery was performed, since the pleural effusion disappeared. The pathological examination revealed the mass to be a type B2 thymoma classified as pathological stage I (Masaoka’s classification) with a multilocular thymic cyst.     

A case of invasive thymoma with retroperitoneal recurrence]

A case of invasive thymoma with retroperitoneal recurrence is reported. A 55-year-old man with invasive thymoma (Masaokas classification, Stage IVa) underwent thymo-thymectomy, partial resection of left upper lobe, resection of phrenic nerve and partial resection of parietal pleura on March 14, 1989. Histological findings revealed thymoma with predominantly lymphocytic type. Two years after the operation, the tumor of retroperitoneal recurrence was discovered in abdominal CT. This retroperitoneal tumor was huge in size (16 x 12 cm) and extended into posterior mediastinum via aortic hiatus. The patient underwent resection of tumor through thoracotomy and laparotomy on April 23, 1991, after two cycles of chemotherapy. Histological findings revealed thymoma with predominantly lymphocytic type. This case was rare among patients with recurrence of thymoma as far as the site of recurrence is concerned.     

A case of thymoma with pure red cell aplasia]

A 71-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of general fatigue. There were few reticulocytes in the peripheral blood and no erythroblasts in the bone marrow. Chest CT revealed an anterior mediastinal tumor. Under a diagnosis of thymoma with PRCA, extended thymothymectomy was performed. Histological diagnosis was mixed type thymoma with no invasive growth beyond the capsule. Administration of predonisolone following surgery was not effective for PRCA. Otherwise, peripheral blood counts were significantly improved following occasional onset of acute bronchitis.     

Resected case of thymic cyst with primary lung cancer

Thymic cyst is a rare and benign tumor of mediastinal tumor. A 77-year-old male was pointed out the tumor shadow on Chest X-ray film and diagnosed lung cancer. On admission some examination was performed and revealed mediastinal tumor accidentally. Primary lung cancer was completely resected and mediastinal tumor was extirpated. Pathological examination revealed lung cancer (poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma) and thymic cyst. Many methods of examination were tried for diagnosis of thymic cyst, but couldn't diagnose exactly before its resection. Some of the patients with thymic cyst was reported to develop SVC syndrome or change to malignant tumor. Therefore we think complete resection is the best treatment.     

Mediastinoscopic resection combined with a sternum lift technique in a case of thymic cyst]

We report on a case of thymic cyst which was successfully treated with mediastinoscopic resection combined with a sternum lift technique. A 62-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a thymic cyst, which was causing chest discomfort and was increasing in size. The tumor was located above the pulmonary artery in the anterior mediastinum. He underwent mediastinoscopic resection while lifting the inferior portion of the sternum with a Laparolift. The cyst was resected sharply and bluntly with the Harmonic Scalpel without rupture. The patient was discharged on the 6th postoperative day in a good condition. Mediastinoscopic resection of a thymic cyst through a xiphoid approach is a useful surgical approach because of the absence of postoperative pain and because it allows early discharge from the hospital.     

Rapid enlargement of a mediastinal mass: thymoma hemorrhage into a thymic cyst

A 52-year-old man was admitted to Matsudo City Hospital because of an anterior mediastinal mass. One month prior, when he suddenly suffered chest pain, computed tomography (CT) showed a 4 x 3 cm mass in the chest. On admission, the symptom disappeared. However, chest CT revealed rapid enlargement of the mass to 10 x 6 cm. Based on the CT findings, we suspected a tumor. Therefore, we performed a thymothymectomy. The mass, measuring 12 x 8 x 6 cm, contained a solid tumor and a fl uid-filled cyst. Pathology showed a thymoma and a multilocular thymic cyst. We speculated that hemorrhage from the thymoma spread into the multilocular thymic cyst and enlarged the mass.     

A case of invasive thymoma which had grown in the SVC via left innominate vein through thymic vein]

A 66-year-old male was referred to our department with mediastinal tumor. The chest X-ray and the chest CT showed a large tumor adjacent to pulmonary artery and descending aorta. Cavogram revealed a filling defect of the SVC. He underwent complete resection of the tumor, resection of the SVC and reconstruction of the SVC with ringed PTFE. The main tumor was 12 x 7 cm in size and the tumor in the SVC was 20 x 15 mm in size. Histopathological findings showed a lymphocytic thymoma. Compact invaded nest of tumor cell was found in the innominate vein. The tumor in the SVC was invasive to the intima of the SVC, but its media and adventure were intact. This case is rare among patients with invasive thymoma as far as the growth is concerned.     

A case of prostate cancer with cyst formation]

A 73-year-old man with the complaint of dysuria of 2 years' standing was admitted to our hospital for further examination of an intrapelvic cystic mass, 8.6 cm in diameter, detected incidentally by abdominal ultrasonography. The serum concentration of prostate specific antigen (PSA) was elevated to 44.9 ng/ml. Pelvic computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a cystic mass with an irregular thick cyst wall posterior to the urinary bladder originating from the prostate. Transrectal needle biopsy presented a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of the prostate. The bloody fluid of the cyst obtained by transperineal aspiration contained a significantly increased level of PSA, but no cancer cells were detected by cytological examination. Total prostatectomy was performed under the diagnosis of clinical stage C (cT3N0M0) prostate cancer. Pathological diagnosis was that cancer cells were present in the prostate tissue and had partly infiltrated the cyst wall. These results suggest that the present cyst was associated with the development of prostate cancer as a pseudocyst without an epithelial lining. The patient has remained free from the disease for over ten months. We review 56 cases of this rare condition that have been reported in Japan.     

A case of thymoma protruding into the superior vena cava through the thymic vein

We describe an unusual case of an invasive thymoma protruding into the superior vena cava and left brachiocephalic vein through the thymic veins in a 64-year-old patient. The tumor was resected with a bypass of the right brachiocephalic vein and right atrium. Although this type of growth form is rare for an invasive thymoma, this case suggests that in surgical procedures for thymomas, meticulous examination of the thymic veins is necessary to avoid leaving residual tumor.     

A case of functioning parathyroid cyst]

We report a rare case of primary hyperparathyroidism with a functioning parathyroid cyst in a 45-year-old male. He was a recurrent stone former, and consulted our hospital for further examinations of hypercalcemia. Plasma levels of intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) were elevated to 130 pg/ml. Ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a parathyroid cyst on the right lobe of the thyroid gland. We performed right superior parathyroidectomy. Histological examination demonstrated a secondary pseudocyst resulting from cystic degeneration of a parathyroid adenoma. Plasma levels of intact PTH normalized after operation. To our knowledge, only 48 cases of functioning parathyroid cyst were reported in the Japanese literature. We discuss the clinical features and histological evidence of functioning parathyroid cyst.     

A case of vitello intestinal cyst]

A case of vitello intestinal cyst was reported. A 16-month-old girl was referred to our clinic with a complaint of a cystic mass in the region of the navel. With a diagnosis of urachal cyst, resection of the cyst was performed. Histopathologically, the cyst wall consisted of fibrous and fat tissue, and a small polypoid tumor which was found on the inner surface of the cyst was covered by intestinal epithelia. Pancreatic and gastric mucosal elements were observed in the submucosal layer. The histopathological diagnosis was vitello intestinal cyst. Serum amylase level elevated preoperatively normalized after removal of the cyst. We collected 11 cases of vitello intestinal cyst reported in Japan including the present case. Ectopic pancreatic tissue is considered a characteristic of vitello intestinal cyst and that serum or fluid amylase level may be useful for differential diagnosis of the disease.     

Primary thymic adenocarcinoma coexisting with type AB thymoma: a rare case with long-term survival

Thymic carcinoma is a rare tumor. The most common histological subtype is squamous cell carcinoma, and only a few cases of thymic adenocarcinoma have been reported. A case of papillary adenocarcinoma of thymic origin that coexisted with type AB thymoma as a separate nodule is presented herein. The patient was found to have an abnormal mediastinal shadow on chest X-ray. A computed tomography scan revealed a round, 6.5-cm-diameter mass in the right anterior mediastinum. The preoperative diagnosis was thymoma, and thymothymectomy was performed. On pathological examination, two tumors, which were diagnosed as papillary adenocarcinoma and type AB thymoma, respectively, were present in the thymus without any connection with each other. The patient has been alive without any signs of recurrence for 11 years after surgery. We diagnosed the adenocarcinoma in this case was a primary thymic carcinoma.     

A case of sacral meningeal cyst with Marfan syndrome]

A rare case of sacral meningeal cyst Marfan syndrome is reported. A 40-year-old male who had a past history of Marfan syndrome was admitted to Tokyo Metropolitan Ebara Hospital due to sensory disturbance in the right S1-2 nerve root area on October 1998. On admission, neurological deficits were sensory disturbance and decrease right Achilles reflex. Plain sacral X-ray was normal. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a cystic mass in the intrasacral space. MR myelography showed the cyst followed the thecal sac. Signal intensity of the cystic mass was the same as the cerebrospinal fluid. In the prone position, laminectomy of the sacrum was carried out. The neck of the meningeal cyst was ligated with the help of an aneurysmal needle. The patient's sensory disturbance disappeared postoperatively. As MRI becomes more frequently used in Marfan syndrome, it is important to keep the presence of such an entity in mind. MR myelography made it easy to diagnose the meningeal cyst.