[Thymic carcinoid: a case report of complete surgical resection using internal mammary artery (IMA) retractor]

Carcinoid tumor of the thymus is a rare tumor and discovered not infrequently at advanced stage. A 56-year-old male was admitted to our hospital with severe chest pain. Chest X-ray film and CT scan, revealed a tumor mass in the anterior mediastinum. The patient underwent extended thymectomy including tumor completely through median sternotomy in combination with partial resection of pericardium, mediastinal pleura and left upper lobectomy using internal mammary artery (IMA) retractor. The microscopic findings of the tumor revealed carcinoid Invasion to pericardium and lung was found microscopically. After the operation he has been treated by radiotherapy and any regrowth of the tumor has never been detected for 32 months. This case who had been undergone complete resection using IMA retractor followed by radiotherapy seemed to have better prognosis. Accordingly, extended thymectomy including tumor should be carried out for thymic carcinoid, and the IMA retractor is useful for complete surgical resection through median sternotomy.