Calcified multilocular thymic cyst associated with thymoma: a case report

A 50-year-old Berber woman from Morocco was admitted with a chronic cough of more than 10 years duration. Her medical history and physical examination were normal. Anterior chest radiography demonstrated a calcified opacity in her right anterior mediastinum. A chest-computed tomogram revealed a round cystic tumor, with significant calcification in her right anterior mediastinum. A surgical exploration was performed. The tumor seemed to be a well-encapsulated and totally calcified lesion, arising from the right lobe of her thymus. It was removed by partial resection of her thymus. Through histology, the calcified tumor exhibited some areas of multilocular fibrous-wall cysts. These cysts were partially lined by small cuboidal cells with severe chronic inflammation and an AB thymoma that arose from the wall of the cyst.Greater attention should be given to multilocular thymic cysts, to exclude the possibility of neoplasm, especially when the cyst wall is thickened.Multilocular thymic cysts are uncommon lesions of the anterior mediastinum. On a regular histopathology examination, they show significant inflammation and fibrosis that can be associated with thymic neoplasm such as thymoma or thymic carcinoma. It is worth noting that an association between thymoma and multilocular thymic cysts has hardly ever been observed. However, the possibility of other cystic thymic lesions, essentially cystic degeneration of thymoma, must always be considered [1].We report an unusual AB thymoma case of a 50-year-old woman in the wall of a calcified multilocular thymic cyst. Our study suggests that difficulties related to the diagnosis have been noted, and we advise that special attention be given to every anterior mediastinal cystic lesion.A 50-year-old Moroccan Berber woman was admitted with a chronic cough that has been going on for more than 10 years, without history of smoking or neoplasm. On admission, her physical examination and routine biochemical tests were within normal limit