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THYMOMA
Authored By: Shane Inoue and Henry Royal.
Patient: 53 year old female
History: 53-year-old woman with a soft tissue mediastinal mass seen on screening CT examination for calcium scoring in July, 2005
 
PET/CT study is requested prior to possible surgical resection of this soft tissue mass
Image Size:[small][as-submitted]

Multimedia: 131960_1_submitted.avi
MIP

Fig. 2
Coronal PET

Fig. 3
PET/CT Fusion

Fig. 4
PET/CT Fusion
Image Size:[small][as-submitted]

Findings:

Mild, diffusely FDG-avid soft tissue mass within the anterior mediastinum, most likely representing a benign process, such as thymic hyperplasia. However, low grade thymoma or lymphoma cannot be completely ruled out.

Mild, diffuse FDG uptake within both thyroid glands, possibly representing thyroiditis

DDx: Thymic hyperplasia
Thymoma
Thymic carcinoma
Lymphoma
Diagnosis:

THYMOMA, B1 SUBTYPE (LYMPHOID PREDOMINANT), MEASURING 6.0 CM IN GREATEST DIMENSION

TUMOR IS ENCAPSULATED, AND COMPLETELY EXCISED

ALL SURGICAL RESECTION MARGINS FREE OF TUMOR

ECTOPIC THYROID TISSUE IDENTIFIED

General Discussion: Thymomas are epithelial tumors of the thymus.

The term, thymoma, is customarily used to describe neoplasms that show no overt atypia of the epithelial component.

A thymic epithelial tumor that exhibits clear-cut cytologic atypia and histologic features no longer specific to the thymus is known as a thymic carcinoma (also known as type C thymoma).
References: Thank you to Dr. Asif Moinuddin for contributing this case.

Rosai J: Histological Typing of Tumours of the Thymus. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag, 2nd ed., 1999.
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Additional Details:

Case Number: 131960Owner(s): Shane Inoue and Henry RoyalLast Updated: 02-07-2013
Anatomy: Cardiopulmonary   Pathology: Neoplasm
Modality: Nuc MedAccess Level: Readable by all users, writable by NucMed Certifiers

Case has been viewed 17 times.
Certified by Henry Royal on 09-17-2009

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