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Invasive thymoma metastases to the pancreas: A case report
Shinya Otsuka1, Kei Hiraoka1, Noriko Kimura2
1Department of Surgery, National Hospital Organization (NHO) Hakodate National Hospital, Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan; Department of Thoracic Surgery, Hokkaido University School of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
International Journal of Surgery Case Reports
|March 24, 2023
Summary
This case report highlights a rare instance of invasive thymoma metastasizing to the pancreas. Complete resection of such extrathoracic metastases appears crucial for prolonged survival in patients with thymic tumors.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Thoracic Surgery
- Gastrointestinal Surgery
Background:
- Thymoma, a common thymic epithelial tumor, rarely metastasizes outside the thoracic cavity.
- Extrathoracic thymoma metastasis presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to its rarity.
Observation:
- A 47-year-old man with invasive thymoma (Type B3) developed pancreatic metastasis three years post-incomplete resection.
- The pancreatic mass, initially suspected as pancreatic cancer, was confirmed as thymoma metastasis after distal pancreatectomy.
Findings:
- This is one of the few reported cases of pancreatic metastasis from thymoma.
- Surgical resection of pancreatic thymoma metastasis, combined with neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies, led to survival beyond six months.
Implications:
- Complete surgical resection of extrathoracic thymoma metastases may improve patient survival.
- This case underscores the importance of considering thymoma metastasis in pancreatic lesions, especially in patients with a history of thymic tumors.
- Multidisciplinary treatment approaches are essential for managing rare metastatic thymoma cases.
