| • 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 |
| • 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 |
| 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. |
| 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
|
| 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. |
| 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
|
