Metaplastic thymoma: a distinctive thymic neoplasm characterized by YAP1-MAML2 gene fusions

Metaplastic thymomas are rare biphasic thymic tumors that are characteristically well-circumscribed, confined to the thymus, and follow a benign to indolent clinical course. Their relationship to other thymic neoplasms remains unclear, and their molecular characteristics have not been defined. We report for the first time recurrent translocation events in metaplastic thymomas involving the Yes Associated Protein 1 (YAP1) and Mastermind Like Transcriptional Coactivator 2 (MAML2) genes. Eight metaplastic thymomas were retrieved from two institutions' archives over a 21-year period. Paraffin-embedded material from all cases underwent targeted DNA-based hybrid capture next-generation sequencing. Cases showing no somatic alterations subsequently underwent targeted RNA sequencing. Allele-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect GTF2I c.74146970T>A (p.L424H) mutations. All cases showed characteristic histologic features of metaplastic thymoma and demonstrated no local recurrence or distant metastatic disease at 1-22 years of follow-up. Six of eight cases were successfully sequenced, all showing YAP1-MAML2 fusions; in four cases the fusions were detected by DNA sequencing and in two cases by RNA sequencing. Two distinct products were identified: 5' YAP1 exon 1 fused to 3' MAML2 exons 2-5 or 5' YAP1 exons 1-5 fused to 3' MAML2 exons 2-5. All cases underwent allele-specific real-time polymerase chain reaction and demonstrated no GTF2I L424H mutations. Metaplastic thymoma is a distinct, clinically indolent thymic epithelial neoplasm characterized by YAP1-MAML2 fusion and lacking the GTF2I mutations found in Type A and AB thymomas.