AB036. PS01.18: Thymoma: a review of the clinical and pathological findings in 66 cases

Background: Although rare, thymoma is the most common tumour of the anterior mediastinum. In an effort to assess the clinical and pathologic characteristics of this tumour and to determine whether clinicopathologic stage or histopathologic classification correlates with clinical outcome, in the Thorax Surgery Service at the University Hospital “Shefqet Ndroqi” Tirane Albania.

Methods: In 66 patients with a diagnosis of thymoma or thymic carcinoma identified from January 2004–November 2016 we studied the presentation, diagnostic investigations, therapeutic interventions, tumour size, postoperative course, clinical stage, histopathologic classification, disease recurrence and mortality.

Results: Of the 66 patients, 14 (21%) were asymptomatic and 22 (33%) had symptoms consistent with myasthenia gravis. Surgical resection is most commonly performed through a median sternotomy and frequently requires en bloc resection of one or more adjacent structures. Local recidive in 4 patients and distant metastasis 2 patients. The overall survival of patients with thymoma was found to correlate with the clinical stage as described by Masaoka and colleagues and with complete tumour resection. A trend to clinicopathologic correlation was observed when applying the histologic classification systems of Suster and Moran and the World Health Organization.

Conclusions: Thymoma is a rare tumour with a variable clinical presentation. Clinical outcome correlates with clinical stage and the ability to achieve complete tumour resection.

Keywords: Myasthenia gravis; resection; thymoma