Thymic cyst expanded from the mediastinum to the neck

Abstract

Thymic cyst occurs along the embryologic pathway of migration of the thymus and does not usually appear in the neck. We herein report a case of a 71-year-old female with a thymic cyst as well as thyroid adenomatous goiter. CT and MRI indicated that the cyst expanded from the upper mediastinum to the lower neck in the left side. During surgery the cyst was removed from the upper mediastinum cavity using the cervical approach. Thymic cyst generally produces few symptoms, but can sometimes cause airway obstruction or change to a malignant tumor. Therefore, early diagnosis and excision of the thymic cyst seems important.