Skip to main content
PMC home page
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 1994 Apr;49(4):357–360. doi: 10.1136/thx.49.4.357

Carcinoid tumours of the thymus.

D Y Wang 1, D B Chang 1, S H Kuo 1, P C Yang 1, Y C Lee 1, H C Hsu 1, K T Luh 1
PMCID: PMC475370  PMID: 8202907

Abstract

BACKGROUND--Carcinoid tumours of the thymus are rare. The clinical manifestations, radiographic findings, and cytological features of eight histopathologically verified thymic carcinoid tumours have been assessed. METHODS--One hundred and sixty two patients of mean age 52 (range 31-68) years with malignant mediastinal tumours were reviewed retrospectively and eight cases of thymic carcinoid were identified. Four of the eight patients were diagnosed by percutaneous ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration biopsy via a parasternal approach. RESULTS--Two patients had Cushing's syndrome at presentation and four had symptoms and signs secondary to mediastinal compression. Two were asymptomatic. Local extension of the tumour to pleura, pericardium, great vessels, phrenic nerve or regional lymph nodes, or both, were found in seven patients. Only one had the tumour confined to the thymus at diagnosis. Distant metastases were found in two patients, one to both lungs and the other in the iliac bone. Local recurrence or distant metastases developed 15-60 months after surgery in four of the five patients who underwent radical resection of the thymic tumour. Three patients died at 17 months, 34 months, and 10 years after diagnosis. The other five patients are alive at 9-51 months. CONCLUSION--Thymic carcinoid is a slow growing tumour with a poor prognosis because of its tendency to local and distant spread. Cytological examination of samples obtained by ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration may provide a useful method for diagnosis in selected patients.

Full text

PDF
358

Images in this article

358Image
on p.358
358Image
on p.358
359Image
on p.359

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Adolph J. M., Kimmig B. N., Georgi P., zum Winkel K. Carcinoid tumors: CT and I-131 meta-iodo-benzylguanidine scintigraphy. Radiology. 1987 Jul;164(1):199–203. doi: 10.1148/radiology.164.1.3588904. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Akiyama S., Sakai M., Inoue S., Yamaguchi K., Ichihara S., Kataoka M., Ito K., Watanabe T., Takagi H. Thymic carcinoid--a case report and review of the literature. Jpn J Surg. 1990 Sep;20(5):577–581. doi: 10.1007/BF02471015. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chalk S., Donald K. J. Carcinoid tumour of the thymus. A case report including discussion of the morphological diagnosis and the cell of origin. Virchows Arch A Pathol Anat Histol. 1977 Dec 29;377(1):91–96. doi: 10.1007/BF00432702. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Clague J. E., Pearson M. G., Sharma A., Taylor W. Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid presenting as multifocal bronchial carcinoid tumour. Thorax. 1991 Jan;46(1):67–68. doi: 10.1136/thx.46.1.67. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Deneffe G., Moerman P. Carcinoid tumour of the thymus: a case report. Acta Chir Belg. 1986 Mar-Apr;86(2):72–74. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Economopoulos G. C., Lewis J. W., Jr, Lee M. W., Silverman N. A. Carcinoid tumors of the thymus. Ann Thorac Surg. 1990 Jul;50(1):58–61. doi: 10.1016/0003-4975(90)90087-m. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Floros D., Dosios T., Tsourdis A., Yiatromanolakis N. Carcinoid tumor of the thymus with multiple endocrine adenomatosis. Pathol Res Pract. 1982 Dec;175(4):404–409. doi: 10.1016/S0344-0338(82)80053-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Gephardt G. N., Belovich D. M. Cytology of pulmonary carcinoid tumors. Acta Cytol. 1982 Jul-Aug;26(4):434–438. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Herbst W. M., Kummer W., Hofmann W., Otto H., Heym C. Carcinoid tumors of the thymus. An immunohistochemical study. Cancer. 1987 Nov 15;60(10):2465–2470. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19871115)60:10<2465::aid-cncr2820601020>3.0.co;2-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. John L. C., Hornick P., Lang S., Wallis J., Edmondson S. J. Giant thymic carcinoid. Postgrad Med J. 1991 May;67(787):462–465. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.67.787.462. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lee L. N., Yang P. C., Kuo S. H., Luh K. T., Chang D. B., Yu C. J. Diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis by ultrasound guided percutaneous aspiration. Thorax. 1993 Jan;48(1):75–78. doi: 10.1136/thx.48.1.75. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Levine G. D., Rosai J. Thymic hyperplasia and neoplasia: a review of current concepts. Hum Pathol. 1978 Sep;9(5):495–515. doi: 10.1016/s0046-8177(78)80131-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lowenthal R. M., Gumpel J. M., Kreel L., McLaughlin J. E., Skeggs D. B. Carcinoid tumour of the thymus with systemic manifestations: a radiological and pathological study. Thorax. 1974 Sep;29(5):553–558. doi: 10.1136/thx.29.5.553. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lozowski W., Hajdu S. I., Melamed M. R. Cytomorphology of carcinoid tumors. Acta Cytol. 1979 Sep-Oct;23(5):360–365. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Manes J. L., Taylor H. B. Thymic carcinoid in familial multiple endocrine adenomatosis. Arch Pathol. 1973 Apr;95(4):252–255. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Marchevsky A. M., Dikman S. H. Mediastinal carcinoid with an incomplete Sipple's syndrome. Cancer. 1979 Jun;43(6):2497–2501. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197906)43:6<2497::aid-cncr2820430648>3.0.co;2-j. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Rosai J., Higa E. Mediastinal endocrine neoplasm, of probable thymic origin, related to carcinoid tumor. Clinicopathologic study of 8 cases. Cancer. 1972 Apr;29(4):1061–1074. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197204)29:4<1061::aid-cncr2820290456>3.0.co;2-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Salyer W. R., Salyer D. C., Eggleston J. C. Carcinoid tumors of the thymus. Cancer. 1976 Feb;37(2):958–973. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197602)37:2<958::aid-cncr2820370253>3.0.co;2-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Viebahn R., Hiddemann W., Klinke F., von Bassewitz D. B. Thymus carcinoid. Pathol Res Pract. 1985 Oct;180(4):445–451. doi: 10.1016/s0344-0338(85)80119-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Wick M. R., Scott R. E., Li C. Y., Carney J. A. Carcinoid tumor of the thymus: a clinicopathologic report of seven cases with a review of the literature. Mayo Clin Proc. 1980 Apr;55(4):246–254. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Wollensak G., Herbst E. W., Beck A., Schaefer H. E. Primary thymic carcinoid with Cushing's syndrome. Virchows Arch A Pathol Anat Histopathol. 1992;420(2):191–195. doi: 10.1007/BF02358812. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Yang P. C., Chang D. B., Lee Y. C., Yu C. J., Kuo S. H., Luh K. T. Mediastinal malignancy: ultrasound guided biopsy through the supraclavicular approach. Thorax. 1992 May;47(5):377–380. doi: 10.1136/thx.47.5.377. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Yang P. C., Chang D. B., Yu C. J., Lee Y. C., Wu H. D., Kuo S. H., Luh K. T. Ultrasound-guided core biopsy of thoracic tumors. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1992 Sep;146(3):763–767. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/146.3.763. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Yu C. J., Yang P. C., Chang D. B., Wu H. D., Lee L. N., Lee Y. C., Kuo S. H., Luh K. T. Evaluation of ultrasonically guided biopsies of mediastinal masses. Chest. 1991 Aug;100(2):399–405. doi: 10.1378/chest.100.2.399. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES