Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging findings in the case of bilateral ectopic cervical thymus

Abstract

Ectopic cervical thymus (ECT) is an extremely rare congenital lesion in infants presented with cervical masses. On Ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), these lesions demonstrate identical echotexture and signal intensities as native thymus. Thus, both US and MRI are appropriate imaging modalities for the diagnosis of ECT. To illustrate the unique characteristics of these masses, we describe the case of bilateral ECT in a 3-month-old boy with corresponding US and MRI findings. We consider, particularly, on the basis of the typical US appearance of thymic tissue, one can confidently preclude the need for biopsy or other imaging modalities to establish that a discovered lesion is ectopic thymus tissue.