Prediction of thymoma histology and stage by radiographic criteria

Thymic epithelial tumors, such as thymomas and thymic carcinomas, are the most common primary neoplasms of the mediastinum. In 1999, the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed a consensus classification of thymic epithelial tumors based on the morphology of the epithelial cells and the ratio of lymphocytes to epithelial cells, which was revised in 2004. The latest classification system stratifies thymic epithelial tumors into six categories: types A, AB, B1, B2, B3, and thymic carcinoma. This article describes the prediction of thymoma histology and stage on the basis of radiographic criteria by reviewing the following: the WHO histologic classification of thymic epithelial tumors, the clinical staging of thymomas based on prognosis, and the radiographic appearance of thymomas according to the WHO histologic classification.