Thymic Rosai-Dorfmann disease: a case report

Abstract

Background Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD), known as sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy, commonly involves lymph nodes in the neck or mediastinum, although extranodal involvement is observed in approximately 40% of RDD patients. RDD involving only the thymus has rarely been reported. Here, we report a case of RDD originating in the thymus. The lesion was surgically removed, and a cure was finally achieved. There was no recurrence after telephone follow-up for 3 years. Case presentation A 52-year-old male was accidentally found to have a 7 × 6 cm anterior mediastinum lump by chest computed tomography (CT). The mediastinal lesion was resected by surgery, and postoperative pathology revealed RDD originating from the thymus. Regular telephone follow-up after surgery lasted 3 years and showed that the patient remained in good condition without any relevant symptoms. Conclusions RDD originating in the thymus cannot be characterized from CT images and is easily misdiagnosed as a traditional mediastinal tumor. This is mainly because there is so little disease in this area that physicians are not aware of it. We report this case with the hope that clinicians will have a better understanding of this disease. According to our follow-up results, surgery is an effective means of treatment.