Thymic carcinoma CT

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Alejandro Lemor, M.D. [2]Parminder Dhingra, M.D. [3]

Chest CT scan may be helpful in the diagnosis of thymic carcinoma. On CT scan of the chest, thymic carcinoma is characterized by lobulated mass with irregular borders, heterogeneous attenuation and mediastinal fat invasion with areas of necrosis, haemorrhage, calcification, or cyst formation.Large and highly aggressive anterior mediastinal mass. Areas of necrosis, haemorrhage, calcification, or cyst formation Aross invasion of contiguous mediastinal structures and wide spread to involve distant intrathoracic sites. High incidence of extrathoracic metastases Lobulated mass with irregular borders, heterogeneous attenuation, and mediastinal fat invasion. Pleural and pericardial effusion might also be seen on CT. Thymic carcinoma is singnificantly larger than thymoma on chest CT scan.

Findings on chest CT scan suggestive of thymic carcinoma include:^[1]

• Large and highly aggressive anterior mediastinal mass
• Areas of necrosis, haemorrhage, calcification, or cyst formation
• Aross invasion of contiguous mediastinal structures and wide spread to involve distant intrathoracic sites
• High incidence of extrathoracic metastases
• Lobulated mass with irregular borders, heterogeneous attenuation, and mediastinal fat invasion
• Pleural and pericardial effusion might also be seen on CT.
• Thymic carcinoma is singnificantly larger than thymoma on chest CT scan.