A Clinical Case of Thymoma Presenting With Pure Erythroid Aplasia

Thymic tumors are a rare condition that affects both genders equally, typically presenting between the ages of 40 and 70. Although often asymptomatic, they can give rise to paraneoplastic syndromes, with myasthenia gravis being the most common. The presentation of pure red cell aplasia, however, remains an uncommon manifestation. Thymectomy is the primary treatment, but it may not always be sufficient for managing associated syndromes, and immunosuppressive therapy may be necessary. This case involves a 50-year-old, otherwise healthy man, who presented to the emergency department with progressive dyspnea and asthenia over the course of one month. A mediastinal mass and hypoproliferative normocytic, normochromic anemia were identified, and after a diagnostic work-up, it was concluded to be a case of thymoma with associated pure red cell aplasia. The patient underwent surgery and radiotherapy and received immunosuppressive therapy. This case highlights a rare manifestation of an uncommon pathology, underscoring the need for a multidisciplinary approach and the challenges in treatment.