| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
1 Department of Radiology, Ehime National Hospital, 366, Yokogawara, Shigenobu,
Ehime, 791-0281, Japan.
2 Department of Radiology, Osaka University Medical School, 2-2 Yamadaoka,
Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
3 Division of General Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery (E-1), Osaka
University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871,
Japan.
4 Second Department of Pathology, Nagoya City University Medical School,
Kawasumi, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, 467-8601, Japan.
5 Department of Radiology, Vancouver General Hospital and University of British
Columbia, 855 W. 12th Ave., Vancouver, B. C., V5Z 1M9, Canada.
6 Department of Radiology, Ehime University Medical School, Shizugawa,
Shigenobu, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan.
OBJECTIVE. Our purpose was to assess the CT features of various subtypes of thymic epithelial neoplasms on the basis of the 1999 World Health Organization classification.
MATERIALS AND METHODS. Thymic epithelial neoplasms in 53 patients who underwent thymectomy were retrospectively assessed histologically according to the 1999 World Health Organization classification. Type A and B neoplasms correspond to thymomas and type C, to thymic carcinoma. The study included four patients with type A, 14 with type AB, nine with type B1, 14 with type B2, four with type B3, and eight with type C epithelial tumors. Two observers independently assessed the CT scans without knowledge of the histologic findings.
RESULTS. Type A tumors were more likely to have smooth contours on CT (4/4, 100%) and round shapes (3.5/4, 88%) than any other type of thymic epithelial tumor (all, p < 0.05). Type C tumors had a higher prevalence of irregular contours (6/8, 75%) than any other type of thymic epithelial tumor (all, p < 0.05). Calcification was more frequently seen in type B1 (4/9, 44%), type B2 (8.5/14, 61%), and type B3 (3/4, 75%) tumors than in type AB (2/14, 14%) and type C (0.5/8, 6%) tumors (all, p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION. Smooth contours and a round shape are most suggestive of type A thymic epithelial tumor, whereas irregular contours are most suggestive of type C tumor. Calcification is suggestive of type B tumors. CT is of limited value, however, in differentiating type AB, B1, B2, and B3 tumors.
CiteULike 
Complore 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us 
Digg 
Reddit 
Technorati What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  H. El-Bawab, A. A. Al-Sugair, M. Rafay, W. Hajjar, M. Mahdy, and K. Al-Kattan Role of flourine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in thymic pathology Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., April 1, 2007; 31(4): 731 - 736. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Y. M. Sung, K. S. Lee, B.-T. Kim, J. Y. Choi, Y. M. Shim, and C. A. Yi 18F-FDG PET/CT of Thymic Epithelial Tumors: Usefulness for Distinguishing and Staging Tumor Subgroups J. Nucl. Med., October 1, 2006; 47(10): 1628 - 1634. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. F. Riedel and W. R. Burfeind Jr Thymoma: Benign Appearance, Malignant Potential Oncologist, September 1, 2006; 11(8): 887 - 894. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Nishino, S. K. Ashiku, O. N. Kocher, R. L. Thurer, P. M. Boiselle, and H. Hatabu The thymus: a comprehensive review. RadioGraphics, March 1, 2006; 26(2): 335 - 348. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Y. J. Jeong, K. S. Lee, J. Kim, Y. M. Shim, J. Han, and O J. Kwon Does CT of Thymic Epithelial Tumors Enable Us to Differentiate Histologic Subtypes and Predict Prognosis? Am. J. Roentgenol., August 1, 2004; 183(2): 283 - 289. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
