A very rare unsuspected thymic tumor is reported in a 81-year-old man. The tumor located in the mediastinum, 5, 5×3×2 cm in size, disclosed a lobular and/or alveolar histologic pattern, consisting of ovoid or elongated cells, mimicking epithelial and/or reticular cells. But the most remarkable histologic feature was the presence of «pseudo-rosettes» with single-layered, radially arranged cells encircling a web of silver- stainable fibrils. The last finding classified the tumor as a «pseudo-rosette » thymoma according to Lattes. This is the first report of such a tumor beyond the age of 80.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AndritsakisG. D., and SommerS. C.: Criteria of thymic cancer and clinical correlations of thymic tumors. J. Thorac. Surg., 37: 273–290, 1959.
2.
BernartzP. E., HarrisonE. G., and ClagettO. T.: Thymoma: clinico-pathologic study. J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., 42: 424–444, 1961.
3.
BraitmanH., Wei-iLi, HerrmannC.Jr., and MulderD. G.: Surgery of thymic tumors. Arch. Surg., 103: 14–16, 1971.
4.
Cesaris DemelV.: Di un caso di cancro alveolare del timo. Pathologica, 24: 607–613, 1932.
5.
LattesR.: Thymoma and other tumors of the thymus. An analysis of 107 cases. Cancer, 15: 1224–1260, 1962.
6.
LattesR., and JonasS.: The pathological and clinical features in eighty cases of thymoma. Bull. N.Y. Acad. Med., 33: 145–147, 1957.
7.
RussellD. S., and RubinsteinL. J.: Pathology of tumours of the nervous system. 3rd ed. Edward Arnold Ed., London, 1971.
8.
WagnerW. C.: Thymome avec prédominance de pseudorosettes. Schweiz. med. Wschr., 101: 932–933, 1971.
9.
WillisR. A.: Pathology of tumours. 3rd ed. Butterworth and Co. Ed., London, 1960.
