A case of bronchogenic cyst in the anterior mediastinum

Abstract

Bronchogenic cysts are commonly located in the middle mediastinum. We report the rare case of a bronchogenic cyst in the thymus. A mass in the anterior mediastinum was detected by thoracic CT scan in a 65-year-old woman during human dry dock. We preoperatively diagnosed the mass as a thymic cyst or thymoma. We performed a thymectomy with median sternotomy. The tumor was located in the left lobe of the thymus, and had a cystic character with milky-white and turbid fluid. Histologically, there was a layer of ciliated epithelium lining the inner side of the cyst. We finally diagnosed the tumor as a bronchogenic cyst.