Tuberculosis of the Thymus: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Title: Tuberculosis of the Thymus: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Volume: 1 Issue: 2

Author(s): Jacques Kpodonu, James L. Cook, Malek G. Massad and Norman J. Snow

Affiliation:

Keywords: thymus, tuberculosis, mediastinal mass

Abstract: Tuberculosis of the thymus is extremely rare and is commonly mistaken for thymoma. We present a case of what we believe is tuberculosis of the thymus in a 62 year old woman, which was mistaken for a thymoma. The clinical, radiological and pathological findings are described, as well as review of the English literature. A diagnosis of tuberculosis is still possible, despite a negative confirmatory test. Preservation of tissue sample for culture may improve detection of tuberculous infection in resected anterior mediastinal masses.

Cite this article as:

Kpodonu Jacques, Cook L. James, Massad G. Malek and Snow J. Norman, Tuberculosis of the Thymus: A Case Report and Review of the Literature, Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews 2005; 1 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573398054023028