Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Thymoma in a child: case report and review of the literature

  • Case Report
  • Published:
Pediatric Surgery International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Thymic lesions comprise approximately 2–3% of all pediatric mediastinal tumors and include thymic cysts, hyperplasia, carcinoma, and thymomas. Thymomas, which represent less than 1% of all mediastinal tumors, are rare mediastinal tumors in the pediatric population. Fewer than 30 cases in children have been described in the literature. These tumors are typically aggressive, with poor outcomes. We report a thymoma in a 14-year-old girl and review the available literature on thymomas and their treatment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

References

  1. Philippart AI, Farmer DL (1998) Benign mediastinal cysts and tumors. In: O’Neill JA, Rowe MI, Grosfeld JL et al (eds) Pediatric surgery. Mosby, St. Louis, p 842

  2. King RM, Telander RL, Smithson WA et al (1982) Primary mediastinal tumors in children. J Pediatr Surg 5:512–520

    Google Scholar 

  3. Cohen AJ, Thompson L, Edwards FH et al (1991) Primary cysts and tumors of the mediastinum. Ann Thorac Surg 51:378–384

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Grosfeld JL (1994) Primary tumors of the chest wall and mediastinum in children. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 6:235–239

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Thomas CR, Wright CD, Loeherer PJ (1999) Thymoma: state of the art. J Clin Oncol 17:2280–2289

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Santana L, Givica A, Camacho C (2002) Best cases from the AFIP: thymoma. Radiographics 22:S95–S102

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Spigland N, Di Lorenzo M, Yousseff S et al (1990) Malignant thymoma in children: a 20-year review. J Pediatr Surg 25:1143–1146

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Bertelse S, Malmstrom J, Heerfordt J et al (1975) Tumors of the thymic region—symptomatology, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Thorax 30:19–25

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Vilpo JA, Klemi P, Lassila O et al (1981) Malignant thymus tumor progressing into acute leukemia with non-specific esterase activity. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand 89:223–226

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Masaoka A, Monden Y, Nakahara K et al (1981) Following study of thymoma with special reference to their clinical stages. Cancer 48:2485–2492

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Bergh NP, Gatzinsky P, Larsson S, Lundin P, Ridell B (1978) Tumors of the thymus and thymic region: I. Clinicopathological studies on thymomas. Ann Thorac Surg 25:91–98

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Wilkins DB, Sheikh EM, Green R et al (1999) Clinical and pathologic predictors of survival in patients with thymoma. Ann Surg 230:562–574

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Lardinois D, Rechsteiner R, Läng RH et al (2001) Prognostic relevance of Masaoka and Müller-Hermelink classification in patients with thymic tumors. Ann Thorac Surg 69:1550–1555

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Moore KH, McKenzie PR, Kennedy CW et al (2001) Thymoma: trends over time. Ann Thorac Surg 72:203–207

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Okumura M, Ohta M, Tateyama H et al (2002) The World Health Organization histologic classification system reflects the oncologic behavior of thymoma: a clinical study of 273 patients. ACS 94:624–632

    Google Scholar 

  16. Ogawa K, Uno T, Toita T et al (2002) Postoperative radiotherapy for patients with completely resected thymoma: a multi-institutional, retrospective review of 103 patients. ACS 94:1405–1413

    Google Scholar 

  17. Haniuda M, Miyazawa M, Yoshida et al (1996) Is postoperative radiotherapy for thymoma effective? Ann Surg 224:219–224

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Park HS, Shin DM, Lee JS et al (1994) Thymoma. A retrospective study of 87 cases. Cancer 73:2491–2498

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Fornasiero A, Daniele O, Ghiotto C et al (1991) Chemotherapy for invasive thymoma. A 13-year experience. Cancer 68:30–33

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Kaplinsky C, Mor C, Cohen IJ et al (1992) Childhood malignant thymoma: clinical, therapeutic, and immunohistochemical considerations. Paediatr Hematol Oncol 9:261–268

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lam WW, Chan FL, Lau YL et al (1993) Paediatric thymoma; unusual occurrence in two siblings. Pediatr Radiol 23:124–126

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Robert C. Shamberger for his careful review of the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark Puder.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rothstein, D.H., Voss, S.D., Isakoff, M. et al. Thymoma in a child: case report and review of the literature. Ped Surgery Int 21, 548–551 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00383-005-1419-4

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00383-005-1419-4

Keywords

Navigation