Nonmalignant pericardial effusion associated with thymic cancer

Abstract

We report a case of thymic carcinoma with massive pericardial effusion in a 74-year-old man. This patient with dyspnea was referred to our hospital because of pericardial effusion detected by echocardiography. A chest computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed an anterior mediastinal mass measuring 8.0 x 5.0 cm with massive pericardial effusion. The mass lesion was suggestive of thymic carcinoma or invasive thymoma. Initially, he underwent pericardial drainage. The collected fluid was serous and yellow, and cytological examination found no malignant cells. The tumor with partial pericardium was resected. Histopathological findings confirmed the lesion to be squamous cell carcinoma of the thymus. The etiology of a massive nonmalignant pericardial effusion associated with thymic carcinoma warrants further studies. The patient is alive without recurrence and without pericardial effusion at 3 years to date after the operation. Not all pericardial effusion associated with thymic cancer involves malignant effusion.

Purulent pericarditis in advanced thymoma: A case report

“…When the tumor is invasive, pericardial involvement can be found in around one-third of the cases [ 6 , 7 ]. Most thymoma cases are usually found through CT-scan, and this modality helps differentiate between thymoma and thymic cancer [8] . On CT-scan findings, a focal oval soft tissue mass with sharply demarcated round found in the anterior mediastinum compartment is strongly suggestive of thymoma [9] .…”

Thymoma Presenting as Right-Side Heart Failure in a Young Healthy Patient: A Case Report and Literature Review

“…The possible mechanism of formation of the pericardial effusion is the disordered lymphatic return caused by the tumor growth. Another mechanism may be the inflammatory reaction caused by tumor cells [9], and in this case, the pericardial volume may reach 2 L before a critical life-threatening An Exceptional Presentation of a Thymoma J Med Cases. 2016;7(8):315-319 tamponade occurs [10].…”

Taponamiento cardiaco de origen inflamatorio como primera manifestación de timoma

“…Con todo, es infrecuente que un tumor tímico, ya sea timoma o carcinoma tímico, presente o, más aún, debute clínicamente con un DP; en estos casos su origen es, mayoritáriamente, metastásico y sólo ocasionalmente cursa con taponamiento cardíaco. Así pues, resulta aún más excepcional que el DP sea de origen inflamatorio: de los tres casos reportados en la literatura [4][5][6] , dos se asociaron a un carcinoma tímico y uno a un timoma, todos cursaron con taponamiento cardíaco y en ninguno de ellos el derrame pericárdico, a pesar de su origen inflamatorio, se asoció a una enfermedad autoinmune paraneoplásica ni a ningún otro dato sugestivo de autoinmunidad.…”