Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the thymus gland with sternal invasion

Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2009 Jun;8(6):694-6. doi: 10.1510/icvts.2008.201020. Epub 2009 Mar 3.

Abstract

Large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the thymus is a rare cancer that is more aggressive than other thymic epithelial tumors with poorer prognosis. We report one such case in a 44-year-old male patient with invasion into the upper 2/3rd of the sternum but no endocrinopathy. Complete enbloc resection of the tumor with adherent pericardium, upper 2/3rd of the sternum and mediastinal lymphadenectomy was performed. The chest wall was reconstructed with polypropylene mesh and bilateral pectoralis major muscle advancement flap cover. A search of PubMed database with user query words 'neuroendocrine carcinoma, thymus gland, sternal invasion' revealed no case report in the literature of thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma with invasion of the sternum.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Biopsy
  • Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / therapy
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Humans
  • Lymph Node Excision
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Orthopedic Procedures
  • Pericardiectomy
  • Radiotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Sternum / pathology*
  • Sternum / surgery
  • Surgical Flaps
  • Surgical Mesh
  • Thymectomy
  • Thymus Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Thymus Neoplasms / therapy
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Treatment Outcome