A new application for argon beam coagulation: the thymoma patient with pleural recurrence

Thymomas are enigmatic tumors for which surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment. However, there are still many debates about resected thymomas with pleural recurrence. Repetitive operations for thymomas involving pleural recurrence are still the treatment of choice. Herein, we present a case with a suitable performance status for re-operation with a new application for argon beam coagulation. Both our experience and the currently available evidence suggest that surgical resection could be considered for patients with advanced thymomas, even for patients with locally advanced or Masaoka-Koga stage IV thymomas. Multimodality or multimodal, treatments resulted in better oncological outcomes for these patients. In this case, we proved that the new application of argon beam coagulation for a thymoma patient with pleural recurrence is safe and feasible. Additional evidence should be collected, and patients should be followed to assess long-term benefits.