| Malignant Thymoma
|
Etiology
•N/A
|
Pathogenesis
•Unknown,
|
Epidemiology
•Malignant thymomas are rare tumors usually of a
mid-life to late adulthood.
|
General Gross Description
•Grossly, these tumors can be quite large (up to 20 cm.
in diameter) and are significantly firmer than normal
thymic tissue.
•Areas of calcification and cystic degeneration are
often seen.
•Examples:
|
General Microscopic Description
•Microscopically, these cells can be of 2 types.
•The type 1 cancers are cytologically benign, but do
show some evidence of invasion of the capsule.
•Type 2 tumors are more overtly malignant and are
typically squamous cell carcinomas, usually poorly
differentiated and show overt evidence of invasion and
distance spread.
•Examples:
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Clinical Correlation
•Fifty percent of patients with thymomas have myasthenia
gravis.
•Other auto-immune disorders are often associated with
thymomas.
|
References
• Cotran RS, Kumar V, Robbins SL: Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease. 5th ed. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders, 1994, pp. 1168
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| Malignant Thymoma
| | Synopsis by: T.V.Rajan, M.D., Ph.D. (T98000M85803)[568]
| |