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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Thorac Cardiovasc Surg Rep 2019; 08(01): e24-e26
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1692188
Case Report: Thoracic
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Massive Thymic Hyperplasia Mimicking Anterior Mediastinal Neoplasia in Occult Graves' Disease

Christopher James Kennedy
1   Department of Cardiothoracic Anaesthetics, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
,
David James William Paton
2   Department of Anatomical Pathology, PathWest Tissue Pathology, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

13 February 2019

13 March 2019

Publication Date:
15 July 2019 (online)

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Abstract

Background Thymic hyperplasia is a recognized complication of Graves' disease that can present radiologically as an anterior mediastinal mass.

Case Description We present a unique case of massive thymic hyperplasia occurring in a 24-year-old female without a known history of thyroid or other systemic disease in whom Graves' disease first manifested intraoperatively during thymectomy for presumed neoplasia.

Conclusion We suggest that the work-up of all anterior mediastinal masses should include a comprehensive search for medical causes of reversible thymic enlargement.

Keywords

thymus - thoracic surgery - pathology
 

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