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The World Health Organization (WHO) Histologic Classification of Thymomas: A Reanalysis

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Opinion statement

The histologic classification of thymomas has remained for many years an area of conflict. In recent years, the World Health Organization (WHO) presented a proposal for the classification of these tumors, which has been widely adopted in many countries throughout the world. Two successive versions of this classification have been presented in recent years; however, controversy still exists regarding its accuracy and usefulness in clinical practice. We present a review of the current WHO classification of thymomas, with a discussion of some of the inconsistencies and limitations and the possible alternatives to the current approach for the histopathologic classification of these tumors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Box 85, Houston, TX, USA

    Cesar A. Moran MD

  2. The Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    Saul Suster MD

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  1. Cesar A. Moran MD
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  2. Saul Suster MD
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Correspondence to Cesar A. Moran MD.

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Moran, C.A., Suster, S. The World Health Organization (WHO) Histologic Classification of Thymomas: A Reanalysis. Curr. Treat. Options in Oncol. 9, 288–299 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11864-009-0084-6

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