Thymoma Malignant
Thymoma Malignant

• Malignant thymoma, external appearance, shows a large tumor with variegated appearance typical of this lesion.

• Notice the overall appearance of a tan-gray mass, with areas that deeply purple, due to focal hemorrhage


(Image Contrib. by:UCHC)(Description by: T.V.Rajan, M.D.)
T98000M00100
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Malignant Thymoma
Etiology

•N/A


Pathogenesis

•Unknown


Epidemiology

•Malignant thymomas are rare tumors usually of a mid-life to late adulthood.


Clinical

•Fifty percent of patients with thymomas have myasthenia gravis.

•Other auto-immune disorders are often associated with thymomas.
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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.


General Micro 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.


Reference

• Cotran RS, Kumar V, Robbins SL: Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease. 5th ed. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders, 1994, pp. 1168


• Current literature from PubMed at National Library of Medicine


Synopsis by: T.V.Rajan, M.D., Ph.D., UCHC
Malignant thymoma
Etiology

•Unknown


Pathogenesis

•Unknown


Epidemiology

•Usualy tumors of mid to late life.

•Males and females equally affected.

•Rarely found in younger people.


Clinical

•Fifty percent of patients with thymomas have myasthenia gravis.

•Other auto-immune disorders are often associated with thymomas.
Visit National Cancer Institute for Current Treatment


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.


General Micro 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.


Reference

• Cotran RS, Kumar V, Robbins SL: Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease. 5th ed. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders, 1994, pp. 1167


• Current literature from PubMed at National Library of Medicine


Synopsis by: T.V.Rajan, M.D., Ph.D., UCHC
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