Synchronous Multicentric Thymona: Report of a Case

Abstract

We report a case of multiple thymoma with different histological subtypes, not associated with myasthenia gravis. We describe the histological findings, especially the results of immunohistochemical staining, which support the possibility of multicentric thymoma. The validity of extended thymectomy is also discussed.

Limited thymectomy for stage I or II thymomas

“…Multiple thymoma is very rare, but is well-known and there are many case reports [7,20,21]. Its occurrence rate was reported as 2.2% [7].…”

Synchronous multiple thymoma: Report of three cases

“…Table 1 summarizes the 16 reported cases we found of synchronous multiple thymoma, including our three. [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] The patients ranged in age from 37 to 81 years with a mean age of 59 years, and included 10 men and 6 women. The number of thymomas was two in 14 patients and three in 2 patients.…”

Triple thymoma with different histologic types

“…5,6 To our knowledge, there have been only 13 reported cases of double thymoma in the literature, and none of triple or greater thymoma. [1][2][3] Concerning the histologic types, most cases of multiple thymoma have consisted of tumors of the same type, 1,2 with only 2 cases of double thymoma with different histologic types reported. 3 It is possible that the genesis of multiple thymoma involves both intrathymic metastasis and multicentric tumors.…”

“…[1][2][3] Concerning the histologic types, most cases of multiple thymoma have consisted of tumors of the same type, 1,2 with only 2 cases of double thymoma with different histologic types reported. 3 It is possible that the genesis of multiple thymoma involves both intrathymic metastasis and multicentric tumors. Nomori and colleagues 1 described a case of double thymoma in which the histologic, morphometric, and immunohistochemical findings suggested the pos-…”

“…No other reports of multiple thymoma, however, have inferred that the origin was through intrathymic metastasis because of the small number of tumors, similar sizes, and noninvasiveness. 2,3 This case was a triple thymoma with three different histologic types, and we suppose that these three tumors originated independently from different areas of the thymus, because the histopathologic types are classified according to the normal differentiation of the major functional and anatomic compartments of the thymus. 7 Moreover, hyperplasia of thymic epithelial cells was seen in other thymic tissue of the specimen, although it is not known whether those lesions would grow into a thymoma.…”