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Case Reports
. 2020 Mar;36(2):154-158.
doi: 10.1007/s12055-019-00879-y. Epub 2020 Jan 3.

Ectopic cervical thymoma with myasthenia gravis: a rare association

Rachid Marouf  1 , Ihsan Alloubi  1 , Brahim Housni  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Ectopic cervical thymoma with myasthenia gravis: a rare association

Rachid Marouf et al. Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2020 Mar.

Abstract

Thymic masses are one of the most common tumors in the anterior mediastinum. Nevertheless, because the thymus originates in the third and fourth pharyngeal pouches and descends into the anterior mediastinum, ectopic thymic tissue may be found anywhere from the angle of the mandible to the superior mediastinum. Ectopic cervical thymoma (ECT) is an extremely rare tumor that originates from ectopic thymic tissue trapped during the migration of the embryonic thymus and is often misdiagnosed as a thyroid tumor or other neck masses. Herein, we report an unusual case of ectopic cervical thymoma associated to myasthenia gravis (MG).

Keywords: Ectopic cervical thymoma; Myasthenia gravis; Surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
a An axial computed tomography (CT) image shows a slightly enhanced large oval mass in the left neck; this tumor is well-capsulated with smooth contour in the lower pole of the left thyroid gland. b A coronary CT image shows a tumor mass at the lower pole of the left thyroid gland
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Ectopic cervical thymoma after being removed from the trans-cervical approach
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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