Ectopic Cervical Thymoma: An Uncommon Entity

A Painless Right Anterior Neck Mass

“…However, 4% of all thymoma cases occur ectopically outside of the mediastinum. This extramediastinal location is explained by the embryological descent of the thymus, which arises in the neck during fetal development and descends along the cervical pathway to the mediastinum . Remnant thymic tissue along this path, commonly adjacent to the thyroid gland, has the potential for epithelial hyperplasia and development of thymoma.…”

“…This extramediastinal location is explained by the embryological descent of the thymus, which arises in the neck during fetal development and descends along the cervical pathway to the mediastinum. 1 Remnant thymic tissue along this path, commonly adjacent to the thyroid gland, has the potential for epithelial hyperplasia and development of thymoma. Middle-aged individuals are most affected by thy-momas; however, ectopic thymomas are more common in prepubertal populations due to thymic involution.…”

Ectopic cervical thymoma: a rare entity in the anterior neck

“…ECT may be misidentified as thyroid cancer or lymphoma. The primary symptom of thymomas is often a palpable mass near the thyroid gland, and patients with thymomas may experience symptoms such as pain, respiratory insufficiency, or superior vena cava syndrome resulting from complications caused by local compression [ 2 ].…”

“…Compared to thymomas found in the mediastinum, thymomas originating from ectopic cervical thymic tissue are uncommon and typically affect females with a median age of 53.5 years (range, 32-86 years) [1]. The diagnosis of ectopic cervical thymomas (ECT) can be challenging due to inconsistent clinical presentations and the prevalence of more common pathologies in this anatomical site [1,2]. ECT may be misidentified as thyroid cancer or lymphoma.…”