Primary mucinous adenocarcinoma of the thymus: A case report and review of the literature

Payal Kapur, Dinesh Rakheja, Michael Bastasch, Kyle H Molberg, Venetia R Sarode

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

Primary thymic mucinous adenocarcinoma is extremely rare; to our knowledge, only 2 cases have been reported to date. We describe a third case of primary mucinous adenocarcinoma of the thymus in a 41-year-old man who presented with an anterior mediastinal mass with subsequent metastasis to the lung. The initial diagnosis was of metastatic mucinous adenocarcinoma, but extensive clinical workup of the patient failed to reveal a primary tumor elsewhere in the body. The specific identification of mucinous adenocarcinoma as a primary thymic neoplasm can be difficult or impossible. Morphologic and immunophenotypic similarities to mucinous adenocarcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract can pose diagnostic challenges for surgical pathologists, especially in small biopsy specimens.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)201-204
Number of pages4
JournalArchives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Volume130
Issue number2
StatePublished - Feb 2006

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pathology and Forensic Medicine
  • Medical Laboratory Technology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Primary mucinous adenocarcinoma of the thymus: A case report and review of the literature'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this