1/9. Cytologic diagnosis of true thymic hyperplasia by combined radiologic imaging and aspiration cytology: a case report including flow cytometric analysis.True thymic hyperplasia (TH) is an age-dependent increase in size and weight of the thymus gland, which by definition maintains a normal histologic architecture. TH can mimic other important diseases, including lymphofollicular hyperplasia, thymoma, lymphoma, and germ-cell tumors. Traditionally, separating these entities has required a formal surgical biopsy. Given that many of these conditions occur in children, this can be a traumatic experience for both the patient and family members. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy has the distinct advantage of being able to obtain diagnostic material without requiring general anesthesia. We are aware of only one previously reported case of an enlarged thymus being subjected to aspiration cytology. We therefore present a case of thymic hyperplasia in a 5-mo-old child diagnosed by combined radiologic and cytologic parameters, including flow cytometric analysis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = gland (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/9. Thyroid uptake of gallium in Graves' disease.A patient with hyperthyroid Graves' disease presented with ptosis, leading to a workup for myasthenia gravis. An enlarged thymus gland was noted on computed tomography. A scan with gallium-67 citrate showed prominent and diffuse thyroid gland activity as well as prominent lacrimal activity. This finding of thyroid uptake of gallium led to the correct diagnosis of Graves' disease. Such a finding has not been reported previously. The associated thymic, thyroid, and orbital findings in Graves' disease are discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = gland (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/9. Diagnostic value of plain chest roentgenogram and CT scan findings in four cases of massive thymic hyperplasia.Massive thymic hyperplasia (MTH) is rare in the pediatric age group, especially in infants. However, because of a wide variation in size and weight of the thymus, an enlarged gland is often resected because of suspicion of a neoplasm or a cyst. Some cases of thymoma resembling pulmonary acute infection occur less frequently than MTH, but if respiratory problems are accompanied by a large thymus immediate diagnosis is often necessary to differentiate between these two conditions. Four infants (14 days to 4 months of age) with MTH were recently studied, all having an acute onset of a severe respiratory distress. The infants were referred to our center with a tentative diagnosis of thymic or other intrathoracic tumors. The following case reports illustrate our diagnostic approach to evaluate patients with symptoms suggesting MTH and the response to the "steroid test".- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = gland (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/9. Massive thymic hyperplasia in an infant with beckwith-wiedemann syndrome.We report the clinical and postmortem findings in a newborn with beckwith-wiedemann syndrome and pulmonary hypoplasia. The infant was found to have a massively enlarged thymus gland that apparently caused pulmonary hypoplasia and respiratory insufficiency. Massive hyperplasia of the thymus gland should be considered in the differential diagnosis of respiratory distress in the beckwith-wiedemann syndrome.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = gland (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/9. myasthenia gravis as a complication of D-penicillamine therapy in rheumatoid arthritis.During the period 1971-79, 301 patients in the Voivodeship Integrated Hospital in Szczecin were treated with D-penicillamine (D-PCN). The complications observed included two cases of myasthenia gravis (MG), both in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, one a 41-year-old man given the drug for 8 months, the other a 50-year-old woman treated in the same way for 4 months. In both patients, pneumomediastinography revealed enlargement of the thymus. thymectomy followed by histological examination in both cases showed the existence of germinal centres and Hassall's bodies in the typical glandular texture. Follow-up examination 3 years later confirmed complete healing in the male patient and a marked improvement in the female patient.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = gland (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/9. Thymic hyperplasia in adults following chemotherapy for malignancy.BACKGROUND: The accuracy of the assessment of patients with malignant disease and of their response to chemotherapy has been significantly improved with the routine availability of computerized tomography (CT) scanning. CT abnormalities, however, may be non-specific, especially after chemotherapy. Rebound enlargement of the thymus gland after chemotherapy induced atrophy is one cause of an abnormal thoracic CT scan on re-staging. AIMS: This phenomenon has previously been reported mainly in relation to the treatment of lymphoma and germ cell cancers. This paper highlights the occurrence of thymic hyperplasia after chemotherapy in these and other tumour types. methods: We discuss five cases including three patients with malignancies other than lymphoma in whom thymus enlargement occurred during or after intensive chemotherapy. RESULTS: Clear identification of the nature of CT abnormalities after chemotherapy, particularly in the mediastinum, is required prior to embarking on further anti-cancer treatments.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = gland (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/9. Visualization of the thymus with therapeutic doses of radioiodine in patients with thyroid cancer.Two cases of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid are presented in which whole-body scans following therapeutic doses of iodine-131 revealed intense anterior mediastinal uptake. In both cases, the mediastinal uptake was absent from scans obtained after removal of the entire thymus. Histologically, the resected thymus glands showed hyperplasia and contained neither thyroid tissue nor metastatic foci of thyroid carcinoma. We therefore concluded that anterior mediastinal uptake of radioiodine may be caused by hyperplasia of the thymus.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = gland (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/9. hyperplasia of thymic gland.hyperplasia of the thymus is the most common anterior mediastinal mass in infants. It is however exceedingly difficult to evaluate by the weight of the gland as it continues to grow after birth until puberty and thereafter undergoes progressive atrophy. It normally maintains most of the radiographic characteristics of the normal thymus. Massive thymic hyperplasia, a rare variant of true thymic hyperplasia is extremely rare during the first two decades of life and clinically can cause mediastinal compression or acute and recurrent pulmonary infection. Two such cases are reported and the clinico-pathology is briefly described and discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = gland (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/9. Solitary fibrous tumor arising from hyperplastic thymus.One case of a solitary fibrous tumor arising from the hyperplastic thymus is recorded. The patient was a 37-year-old female who presented with an anterior mediastinal mass. thoracotomy was performed and revealed that the tumor arose on a pedicle from the posteroinferior surface of the enlarged thymus. The pathologic findings were characteristic of a solitary fibrous tumor. This is a very rare neoplasm that occurred in the mediastinum and had evidence of thymus gland in origin.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = gland (Clic here for more details about this article) |