Mediastinum thymoma diagnosed by FNA and thinprep technique: A case report

Thymoma is a primary tumor of the thymus epithelial cells. It may be asymptomatic or accompanied with atypical clinical symptoms or paraneoplastic syndromes, such as myasthenia gravis. The biological behavior of thymomas is unpredictable. The invasion of the capsule or the adjacent tissues is the major diagnostic criterion for the malignant behavior of these tumors. This is an interesting case of thymoma diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) and ThinPrep technique, in a 54-year-old female patient with a history of gastric adenocarcinoma. Cytology of the mediastinum mass revealed a mixed population of epithelial cells and lymphocytes. The tumor was excised and the histopathological examination supported the cytological diagnosis. Thymomas commonly constitute a problem in differential diagnosis of mediastinum masses. FNA biopsy in correlation with Thin Prep technique and immunocytochemistry may play a significant role in clarifying the nature of these lesions and may contribute to the early management and choice of the optimal therapeutic manipulation. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2006;34:37–40. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.