Thymoma


Epidemiology


Physiology


Diagnosis


Clinical

Symptoms/Signs:
-Sixty percent of patients may be asymptomatic at time of diagnosis; other vague symptoms include cough, dyspnea, and/or chest pain
-Malignancy is best defined by the degree of invasiveness found at surgery, not by histologic appearance
-Benign thymomas (55% to 65%) are contained within a thick fibrous capsule and are cured at time of surgical remova
-Myasthenia Gravis: occurs in 10% to 50% of patients with thymomas, either benign or malignant
-Pure Red Cell Aplasia:
–About 50% of patients with pure red cell aplasia have a thymoma
–Only 5% of patients with thymoma have pure red cell aplasia.


Treatment


References