Cervical thymoma.

CONTEXT: Cervical thymoma is a primitive thymic neoplasia. It is very rare. This disease presents higher incidence in female patients in their 4th to 6th decade of life. We present a case report of a cervical thymoma. CASE REPORT: 54-year-old female patient, caucasian, with no history of morbidity, presenting a left cervical nodule close to the thyroid gland. During the 30 months of investigation a left cervical nodule grew progressively next to the thyroid while the patient showed no symptoms, making accurate diagnosis difficult. Tests on her thyroid function did not show changes, nor were there changes in any subsidiary tests. The diagnosis of the disease was made intra-operatively through total thyroid individualization. The results were confirmed by the histological findings from the ressected material. Cervical thymoma is a very rare disease, with difficult preoperatory diagnosis. Some additional study methods which are employed today are thallium 201, technetium 99 and iodine 131 scintigraphy, magnetic nuclear resonance and especially histopathological findings and classification.