2020 Volume 34 Issue 6 Pages 578-581
The endobronchial extension of thymoma is extremely rare. Herein, we report a recurrent thymoma patient with endobronchial polypoid growth. A 59-year-old man, with a past history of extended thymectomy for a type B3 thymoma with partial resection of the left upper lobe and combined resection of the left phrenic nerve, presented to a hospital with a chief complaint of cough. Chest computed tomography revealed an ill-defined mass in the left upper lobe of the lung. An endobronchial polypoid tumor occupying the bronchus of the left upper lobe was detected by bronchoscopy. Although biopsies were performed, definite evidence of malignant tumor cells could not be confirmed. He was referred to our hospital for surgery with a suspicion of primary lung cancer. During the surgery, a large tumor was located in the left upper lobe. Evaluation of intraoperative frozen sections of the tumor was suggestive of thymoma, and the left upper bronchial stump was positive for tumor cells. We performed left upper lobe sleeve lobectomy along with pulmonary artery reconstruction to correct a kink in the left main pulmonary artery. He was discharged from the hospital on post-operative day (POD) 22 after surgery with instructions for continued rehabilitation.
