2021 Volume 57 Issue 5 Pages 873-877
A thymolipoma is a rare benign tumor of the anterior mediastinum, which is usually asymptomatic and incidentally identified. Here, we report a case of a giant thymolipoma in a patient with reduced lung capacity in the course of seven years. An 11-year-old girl had been diagnosed with thymic hyperplasia by open biopsy and followed up with imaging evaluation for seven years. She visited our hospital owing to her family’s relocation to our city. Although it was asymptomatic, a close examination was performed as the tumor tended to grow, albeit slowly. MRI showed that it was composed of a mixture of thymus-like soft tissue components and fat components, suggestive of a thymolipoma. Her % lung capacity had decreased to 70%, and a tumor resection was planned. We approached the tumor through the bilateral thoracic cavity with the patient in the supine position. After thoracoscopic dissection of the thymic vein, the tumor was divided and resected through a bilateral axillary incision, resulting in a safe and minimally invasive resection. Respiratory function test results were normalized after six months, and the patient remains under observation without recurrence at two years postoperatively.
