Thymic carcinoid with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1: a case report

Ertan Aydın,

doi:10.5606/tgkdc.dergisi.2013.5031

Ertan Aydın¹, Ülkü Yazıcı¹, Yetkin Ağaçkıran², Ali Çelik¹, Nurettin Karaoğlanoğlu¹

¹Department of Thoracic Surgery, Atatürk Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
²Department of Pathology, Atatürk Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

DOI : 10.5606/tgkdc.dergisi.2013.5031

Thymic carcinoid is a rare neuroendocrine tumor of the thymus. Apart from sporadic cases, it is usually associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1). Thoracic computed tomography (CT) revealed an anterior mediastinal mass with a size of 10 cm in diameter, encroaching into the left thoracic cavity in a 39-year-old male case with MEN1- related giant thymic carcinoid who was admitted due to chest pain. A computed tomography-guided percutaneous tru-cut biopsy demonstrated a carcinoid tumor of the thymus. Tumor was resected through left thoracotomy. Pathologic analyses of the specimen revealed thymic carcinoid tumor, mostly encapsulated with local pericardial tissue invasion. The patient with familial MEN1 was asymptomatic for the past seven months. Thymic carcinoid is the leading cause of death in patients with MEN1 disease. Early diagnosis and treatment of this condition would help to minimize morbidity and mortality rate.

Keywords : Multiple endocrine neoplasia; surgery; thymic carcinoid

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