대한흉부영상의학회 Weekly Chest Cases

Courtesy of Jung Hee Hong, MD. Jin Young Kim, MD. / Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center
Age/Sex 48 / F
Chief ComplaintIncidental abnormal finding on chest PA

Diagnosis: Ectopic thymoma
Radiologic Findings: Figure 1-2: Chest PA and lateral view show a well-defined mass in the left upper mediastinum.
Figure 3-4: contrast-enhanced chest CT images show a well-defined enhancing bi-lobed mass in the left middle to posterior mediastinum.
Brief Review: The patient underwent an operation and the pathology confirmed the mass as thymoma with presence of capsular invasion, WHO type B1.

The thymus is a lymphoid organ that plays a critical role in the maturation of lymphocytes and cellular immunity. Ectopic and accessory thymic tissue may occur anywhere along the path of descent (thymopharyngeal duct) as the result of failure of descent, sequestration, or failure to involute. Ectopic or accessory thymic tissue may be found in the vicinity of the superior vena cava, brachiocephalic vessels, and aorta. Rarely, it may be found in the posterior mediastinum or even in the dermis.
References: Clin Ter 2021; 172 (2):94-98.
RadioGraphics, 30(2), 413–428.
Keywords

대한흉부영상의학회 Korean Society of Thoracic Radiology