A Developing Anterior Mediastinal Mass in a Breast Cancer Patient: Thymic Hyperplasia

Title:A Developing Anterior Mediastinal Mass in a Breast Cancer Patient: Thymic Hyperplasia

Volume: 18

Author(s): Nilgün Güldoğan, Aykut Soyder, Ebru Yılmaz and Aydan Arslan*

Affiliation:

• Department of Radiology, Zonguldak Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Zonguldak, Turkey

Keywords: Breast cancer, thymic hyperplasia, chemotherapy, CT, imaging, tumor.

Abstract:

Introduction: True thymic hyperplasia following chemotherapy has been described mostly in children. There are a few cases of thymus hyperplasia that have been reported in breast cancer patients. Diagnosis of this unusual entity is very crucial to pretend unnecessary surgery or interventional diagnostic procedures.

Case Presentation: We report a case of thymus hyperplasia in a patient who was operated and treated with adjuvant chemotherapy for stage 2 breast cancer two years ago. In the follow-up CT scans, an anterior mediastinal mass was noted. Radiologic evaluation and follow-up revealed thymus enlargement.

Discussion: Thymic hyperplasia following chemotherapy has been described in both children and adults, but occurs mostly in children and adolescents treated for lymphoma and several other types of tumors. Few cases are reported in literature describing thymus hyperplasia following chemotherapy in a breast cancer patient. The imaging findings of thymic hyperplasia on CT, MRI and PET CT are discussed.

Conclusion: Radiologists must be aware of this unusual finding in breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy to guide the clinicians appropriately in order to avoid unnecessary surgical intervention, additional invasive diagnostic procedures, or chemotherapy.

Cite this article as:

Güldoğan Nilgün, Soyder Aykut, Yılmaz Ebru and Arslan Aydan*, A Developing Anterior Mediastinal Mass in a Breast Cancer Patient: Thymic Hyperplasia, Current Medical Imaging 2022; 18 (1) : e020821195193 . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573405617666210802124157

DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573405617666210802124157	Print ISSN 1573-4056
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher	Online ISSN 1875-6603