Discussion
Diagnosis With Brief Discussion
- Diagnosis
- Thymic atypical carcinoid
- Radiologic Findings
- Fig. 1-2 Chest PA/Lat shows well-demarcated large mass at anterior mediastinum.
Fig. 3-4 Chest CT with enhancement shows diffuse enhancing mass with multifocal internal low attenuated foci at anterior mediastinum.
Fig. 5-7 Chest MRI shows heterogeneous high signal intensity on T2WI, iso signal intensity on T1WI, diffuse enhancement on post-enhancement T1WI with foci of low signal intensity inside.
- Brief Review
- Thymic neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) are rare, constituting approximately 2–5% of all thymic epithelial tumours. Thymic carcinoids often behave aggressively and present as advanced disease due to the invasion of adjacent mediastinal structures, local recurrence or metastases.
Thymic carcinoids tend to be large masses with irregular contours, no capsule, heterogeneous intensity on T2 weighted images, heterogeneous enhancement and local invasion on CT or MRI. A necrotic or cystic component was often seen in atypical carcinoid. These radiological features mimic those of high-risk thymomas and/or thymic carcinomas.
- References
- Shimamoto A, Ashizawa K, Kido Y, Hayashi H, Nagayasu T, Kawakami A, et al. CT and MRI findings of thymic carcinoid. Br J Radiol. 2017;90:20150341.
- Please refer to
- Case 421
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- Keywords
- Mediastinum, Thymic Carcinoid,