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Thymic cyst

MedGen UID:
21164
•Concept ID:
C0040072
•
Anatomical Abnormality
Synonyms: Cyst, Thymic; Cysts, Thymic; Thymic Cyst; Thymic Cysts
SNOMED CT: Cyst of thymus (40478000); Cyst of thymus gland (40478000)
 
HPO: HP:0034966

Definition

A closed sac of tissue (cyst) located in the thymus. Thymic cysts are a rare, benign anomaly, are usually asymptomatic, and mostly occur in the anterior mediastinum . [from HPO]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVThymic cyst

Professional guidelines

PubMed

MRI-Based Stepwise Approach to Anterior Mediastinal Cystic Lesions for Diagnosis and Further Management.
Kim JH, Choe J, Kim HK, Lee HY
Korean J Radiol 2023 Jan;24(1):62-78. doi: 10.3348/kjr.2022.0606. PMID: 36606621Free PMC Article
Diagnosis and management of ectopic cervical thymus in children: Systematic review of the literature.
Chang A, Nataraja RM, Pudel E, Stunden R, Baré S, Pacilli M
J Pediatr Surg 2021 Nov;56(11):2062-2068. Epub 2021 Mar 11 doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2021.03.003. PMID: 33789804
Clinical characteristics and management of primary mediastinal cysts: A single-center experience.
Wang X, Li Y, Chen K, Yang F, Wang J
Thorac Cancer 2020 Sep;11(9):2449-2456. Epub 2020 Jul 17 doi: 10.1111/1759-7714.13555. PMID: 32677753Free PMC Article

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Benign lesions of the mediastinum.
Gerber TS, Porubsky S
Histopathology 2024 Jan;84(1):183-195. Epub 2023 Nov 21 doi: 10.1111/his.15088. PMID: 37988262
How can the rate of nontherapeutic thymectomy be reduced?
Wang S, Ao Y, Jiang J, Lin M, Chen G, Liu J, Zhao S, Gao J, Zhang Y, Ding J, Tan L
Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 2022 Aug 3;35(3) doi: 10.1093/icvts/ivac132. PMID: 35579357Free PMC Article
Multilocular thymic cyst (MTC) and other tumors with MTC features: Pitfalls in diagnosis.
Oramas DM, Moran CA
Semin Diagn Pathol 2022 Mar;39(2):105-112. Epub 2021 Jun 11 doi: 10.1053/j.semdp.2021.06.004. PMID: 34147305
Pictorial Review of Mediastinal Masses with an Emphasis on Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
Park JW, Jeong WG, Lee JE, Lee HJ, Ki SY, Lee BC, Kim HO, Kim SK, Heo SH, Lim HS, Shin SS, Yoon W, Jeong YY, Kim YH
Korean J Radiol 2021 Jan;22(1):139-154. Epub 2020 Aug 11 doi: 10.3348/kjr.2019.0897. PMID: 32783412Free PMC Article
Cervical thymic cysts.
Cigliano B, Baltogiannis N, De Marco M, Faviou E, Antoniou D, De Luca U, Soutis M, Settimi A
Pediatr Surg Int 2007 Dec;23(12):1219-25. Epub 2007 Oct 16 doi: 10.1007/s00383-006-1822-5. PMID: 17938938

Diagnosis

Benign lesions of the mediastinum.
Gerber TS, Porubsky S
Histopathology 2024 Jan;84(1):183-195. Epub 2023 Nov 21 doi: 10.1111/his.15088. PMID: 37988262
Multilocular thymic cyst (MTC) and other tumors with MTC features: Pitfalls in diagnosis.
Oramas DM, Moran CA
Semin Diagn Pathol 2022 Mar;39(2):105-112. Epub 2021 Jun 11 doi: 10.1053/j.semdp.2021.06.004. PMID: 34147305
Imaging of the Anterior/Prevascular Mediastinum.
Garrana SH, Rosado-de-Christenson ML
Radiol Clin North Am 2021 Mar;59(2):155-168. Epub 2021 Jan 11 doi: 10.1016/j.rcl.2020.10.003. PMID: 33551078
Pictorial Review of Mediastinal Masses with an Emphasis on Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
Park JW, Jeong WG, Lee JE, Lee HJ, Ki SY, Lee BC, Kim HO, Kim SK, Heo SH, Lim HS, Shin SS, Yoon W, Jeong YY, Kim YH
Korean J Radiol 2021 Jan;22(1):139-154. Epub 2020 Aug 11 doi: 10.3348/kjr.2019.0897. PMID: 32783412Free PMC Article
Cervical thymic cysts.
Cigliano B, Baltogiannis N, De Marco M, Faviou E, Antoniou D, De Luca U, Soutis M, Settimi A
Pediatr Surg Int 2007 Dec;23(12):1219-25. Epub 2007 Oct 16 doi: 10.1007/s00383-006-1822-5. PMID: 17938938

Therapy

Thymus variants on imaging of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome and polymyositis/dermatomyositis: clinical and immunological significance.
Murata O, Suzuki K, Takeuchi T
Immunol Med 2023 Mar;46(1):25-31. Epub 2022 Oct 6 doi: 10.1080/25785826.2022.2129371. PMID: 36200743
I-131 false-positive uptake in a thymic cyst with expression of the sodium-iodide symporter: A case report.
Yano E, Nakajo M, Jinguji M, Tani A, Kitazono I, Yoshiura T
Medicine (Baltimore) 2022 Jul 1;101(26):e29282. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000029282. PMID: 35777066Free PMC Article
Thymus variants on imaging in patients with rheumatoid arthritis-clinical and immunological significance.
Murata O, Suzuki K, Sugiura H, Kondo Y, Takeshita M, Koga K, Takiguchi M, Kurisu R, Kassai Y, Yasuoka H, Yamaoka K, Morita R, Yoshimura A, Takeuchi T
Rheumatology (Oxford) 2021 Dec 1;60(12):5595-5600. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keab164. PMID: 33590850
The Usefulness of Positron-Emission Tomography Findings in the Management of Anterior Mediastinal Tumors.
Kitami A, Sano F, Ohashi S, Suzuki K, Uematsu S, Suzuki T, Kadokura M
Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2017 Feb 20;23(1):26-30. Epub 2017 Jan 24 doi: 10.5761/atcs.oa.16-00205. PMID: 28123154Free PMC Article
What is the prevalence of a "nontherapeutic" thymectomy?
Kent MS, Wang T, Gangadharan SP, Whyte RI
Ann Thorac Surg 2014 Jan;97(1):276-82; discussion 82. Epub 2013 Oct 18 doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2013.07.121. PMID: 24140214

Prognosis

Thymic Lesions in Myasthenia Gravis: A Clinicopathological Study from India.
Nishadham V, Bardhan M, Polavarapu K, Vengalil S, Nashi S, Menon D, Ganaraja VH, Preethish-Kumar V, Valasani RK, Huddar A, Unnikrishnan GK, Thomas A, Saravanan A, Kulanthaivelu K, Nalini A, Nandeesh BN
J Neuromuscul Dis 2022;9(3):411-422. doi: 10.3233/JND-210785. PMID: 35431258
Longitudinal CT and MRI Characteristics of Unilocular Thymic Cysts.
Ackman JB, Chintanapakdee W, Mendoza DP, Price MC, Lanuti M, Shepard JO
Radiology 2021 Nov;301(2):443-454. Epub 2021 Aug 24 doi: 10.1148/radiol.2021203593. PMID: 34427460
Added Value of Magnetic Resonance Imaging for the Evaluation of Mediastinal Lesions.
Heeger AP, Ackman JB
Radiol Clin North Am 2021 Mar;59(2):251-277. doi: 10.1016/j.rcl.2020.11.001. PMID: 33551086
Cervical thymic cysts in adults.
Michalopoulos N, Papavramidis TS, Karayannopoulou G, Cheva A, Pliakos I, Triantafilopoulou K, Papavramidis ST
Thyroid 2011 Sep;21(9):987-92. Epub 2011 May 19 doi: 10.1089/thy.2010.0142. PMID: 21595559
Cervical thymic cysts.
Cigliano B, Baltogiannis N, De Marco M, Faviou E, Antoniou D, De Luca U, Soutis M, Settimi A
Pediatr Surg Int 2007 Dec;23(12):1219-25. Epub 2007 Oct 16 doi: 10.1007/s00383-006-1822-5. PMID: 17938938

Clinical prediction guides

Development and Validation of Contrast-Enhanced CT-Based Deep Transfer Learning and Combined Clinical-Radiomics Model to Discriminate Thymomas and Thymic Cysts: A Multicenter Study.
Yang Y, Cheng J, Peng Z, Yi L, Lin Z, He A, Jin M, Cui C, Liu Y, Zhong Q, Zuo M
Acad Radiol 2024 Apr;31(4):1615-1628. Epub 2023 Nov 10 doi: 10.1016/j.acra.2023.10.018. PMID: 37949702
Thymic Lesions in Myasthenia Gravis: A Clinicopathological Study from India.
Nishadham V, Bardhan M, Polavarapu K, Vengalil S, Nashi S, Menon D, Ganaraja VH, Preethish-Kumar V, Valasani RK, Huddar A, Unnikrishnan GK, Thomas A, Saravanan A, Kulanthaivelu K, Nalini A, Nandeesh BN
J Neuromuscul Dis 2022;9(3):411-422. doi: 10.3233/JND-210785. PMID: 35431258
Thymic adenocarcinoma associated with thymic cyst: a case report and review of literature.
Wang L, Wang D, Qian K, Lu D, Chen L, Zhao L, Teng L
Int J Clin Exp Pathol 2015;8(5):5890-5. Epub 2015 May 1 PMID: 26191314Free PMC Article
Cervical thymic cysts in adults.
Michalopoulos N, Papavramidis TS, Karayannopoulou G, Cheva A, Pliakos I, Triantafilopoulou K, Papavramidis ST
Thyroid 2011 Sep;21(9):987-92. Epub 2011 May 19 doi: 10.1089/thy.2010.0142. PMID: 21595559
Cervical thymic cyst.
Sanusi ID, Carrington PR, Adams DN
Arch Dermatol 1982 Feb;118(2):122-4. PMID: 6800306

Recent systematic reviews

Diagnosis and management of ectopic cervical thymus in children: Systematic review of the literature.
Chang A, Nataraja RM, Pudel E, Stunden R, Baré S, Pacilli M
J Pediatr Surg 2021 Nov;56(11):2062-2068. Epub 2021 Mar 11 doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2021.03.003. PMID: 33789804

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