• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.319-323
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• 1998

Thymic carcinoid tumor is a rare mediastinal tumor, which was firstly described by Rosai and Higa in 1972. A carcinoid tumor of the thymus has recently been regarded as a distinct tumor from thymoma, and is probably Kultschizky cell origin. The pathologic diagnosis of thymic carcinoid is made from findings from light microscopy, immunohistochemical studies and electron microscopy. About 50% of thymic carcinoids were seen with endocrinopathies. Recurrences and extrathoracic metastasis are characteristics of thymic carcinoids. Surgical removal of the intial and tumor recurred are considered to be the most effective treatment today. However, the role of the adjuvant radiotherapy and the chemotherapy is still uncertain. Herein we report a case of thymic carcinoid tumor, which was confirmed by operation and pathologic study.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1236-1239
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• 1992

Carcinoid tumors arising in the thymus are rare. Since Rosai and Higa in 1972 distinguished these neoplasms from thymomas, fewer than 100 cases have been reported in the world literature. The pathologic diagnosis of thymic carcinoids is been on findings from light microscopy, histochemical studies, and electron microscopy. About 50% of thymic carcinoids are seen with endocrinopathies. Recurrence and extrathoracic metastasis are characteristic of thymic carcinoids. Surgical extirpation of the tumor initially and of the subseguent recurrences in the most effective treatment today The role of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy is still uncertain. Herein we report a case of thymic carcinoid tumor in a 36-year old male with brief review of literatures.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.634-637
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• 2002

Thymic carcinoid or neuroendocrine tumor of thymus is a very rare disease and has poor prognosis due to frequent recurrence and distant metastasis. A 43-year-old man was refered to our hospital because of Rt. chest pain and tightness. Chest X-ray revealed $7{\times}8$cm sized mass on Rt. anterior mediastinum. Surgical excision was performed and light microscopic, immunohistochemical and electron microscopic findings were confirmed as atypical thymic carcinoid tumor with thymic cyst. The patient has been followed up without recurrence or distant metastasis postoperatively for 3 months to now. We report a case of atypical thymic carcinoid with thymic cysts.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.736-743
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• 1986

Thymus gland is a kind of endocrine organ which secretes thymosin and thymoprotein. There can be developed variable lesions like thymoma, thymic hyperplasia, thymic cyst, thymolipoma, and carcinoid tumor of the thymus gland. We have experienced 25 patients of thymic disease: thymoma 12, thymic hyperplasia 11, thymic cyst 1, carcinoid tumor 1. The age distribution were ranged from 3 to 66 years and the sex ratio was 1:1.8 [male to female]. Thymectomy was performed in all cases, but 3 cases with deep infiltration to the adjacent structures were not resectable completely. Malignancy [all thymoma] were 5 and the rest were benign. Two cases were died of recurrence after tumor resection. Myasthenia gravis occurred in 10 cases. Among them, 2 were thymoma and 8 were thymic hyperplasia. We could obtained the result that thymectomized cases reached 2 remission and 5 improvement. Myasthenia gravis treated medically [18 cases] had no remission and only 2 clinical improvement. In the light of these results, early radical thymectomy would be most favorable treatment in not only thymic tumor, but generalized myasthenia gravis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.571-583
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• 1983

Thymic tumor is the most common neoplasm originating in the anterior mediastinum. Histologically, thymic tumors and tumorlike conditions have been classified into thymic cyst, thymolipoma, true thymic hyperplasia, thymoma and carcinoid tumor of the thymus gland. We have experienced several tumors and a few tumorlike conditions of the thymus gland in 10 patients: thymoma 6, thymic hyperplasia 2, carcinoid tumor 1 and thymic cyst 1. The age distributions were ranging from 30 to 60 years except for one 3 year old child [malignant thymoma, lymphocytic type], and male to female ratio was 1:1.5. In 6 cases, thymic lesions were removed through lateral thoracic incision [right 2, left 4] because the mediastinal masses were growing far into the pleural space, meanwhile, medially located lesions [4 cases] through median sternotomy incision. Among these 10 patients, 3 were malignant thymomas, in which 2 were died of recurrence after tumor resection. Myasthenia gravis was all noted in 3 females [thymoma 2, thymic follicular hyperplasia 1], in which only two revealed remission in symptoms following thymectomy. The authors would like to recommend early radical thymectomy through median sternotomy incision whenever patients demonstrate suspicious thymic tumor lesions on the chest roentgenogram or generalized myasthenic symptoms.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.131-134
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• 2014

Familial isolated primary hyperparathyroidism(FIPH) is associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) syndrome, primary hyperparathyroidism accompanied by jaw-tumor syndrome, and familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia. FIPH may be an early stage of MEN1 or an allelic variant of MEN1. Thymic carcinoid tumor is a rare tumor in MEN1 syndrome. Here, the authors report the case of a 40-year-old man diagnosed with recurrent thymic carcinoid tumor and FIPH. Both the patient and his elder sister had been previously diagnosed to have FIPH with a novel frameshift mutation in the MEN1 gene. Initially, the patient underwent thymectomy because of an incidental finding of a mediastinal mass in his chest X-ray, and had remained asymptomatic over the following 4 years. Pancreas computed tomography conducted to evaluate MEN1 syndrome revealed anterior and middle mediastinal masses, and resultantly, massive mass excision was performed. Histological findings disclosed atypical carcinoids with infiltrative margins. In view of the thymic carcinoid tumor relapse that occurred in this patient, the authors recommend that regular pancreas and pituitary imaging studies be conducted for FIPH associated with a MEN1 gene mutation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.10 s.267
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• pp.795-798
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• 2006

Thymic carcinoid tumor associated with Cushing's syndrome is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. Thymic carcinoid with Cushing's syndrome caused by CRH (corticotropin-releasing hormone) production is even rarer. We report a 58-year-old woman with a huge anterior mediastinal mass. Five months after thymectomy the patient was readmitted with symptoms of generalized edema and dyspnea. Recurrence and metastases were discovered and Cushing's syndrome diagnosed.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.142-147
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• 1991

Diagnosis of a thymic carcinoid was made on transthoracic fine needle aspiration in a 36-year old woman who had an anterior mediastinal mass on chest X-ray and CT scan. The aspiration smears showed numerous anastomosing ribbons and cords of small round tumor cells. The tumor cells had slightly eccentric nuclei and some granular cytoplasm. The small and uniform nuclei of the tumor cells had finely granular chromatin and thin nuclear membrane. The cytologic diagnosis of a carcinoid was confirmed on histopathologic, immunohistochemical, and electromicroscopic examination of surgical specimen.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.425-429
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• 1997

Until 1972, many carcinoid tumors of the thymus were not recognized as distinct lesions and were mistakenly labeled as variants of thymomas. Thymic carcinoid tumors are unusual neoplasms that show different morphological, functional, and behavioral characteristics than those of thymomas. We report a case of a 65-year-old woman with thymic carcinoid tumor. The clinicopathological findings are discussed with a review of the literature.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.420-424
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• 2019

Atypical thymic carcinoid is an extremely rare tumor with a poor prognosis. In addition to its known association with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1, its hallmark characteristics include local invasion and early distant metastasis. In this report, we share our experience treating atypical thymic carcinoid in a patient with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.