Mesothelioma With a Large Prevascular Lymph Node: N1 Involvement or Something Different?

Ann Thorac Surg. 2018 May;105(5):e189-e191. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2017.12.016.

Abstract

A 64-year-old man presented with a large amount of right-sided pleural fluid on imaging, together with calcified pleural plaques and an enlarged nodular structure in the prevascular mediastinum, presumably an enlarged lymph node. Pleural biopsies were obtained during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery to exclude malignancy. Histopathology showed an epithelial malignant pleural mesothelioma. Induction chemotherapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed was administered followed by an extended pleurectomy and decortication with systematic nodal dissection. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of a ypT3N0M0 (stage IB) mesothelioma, and an unexpected thymoma type B2 (stage II) was discovered in the prevascular nodule. Simultaneous occurrence of a mesothelioma and thymoma is extremely rare.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Lung Neoplasms / surgery
  • Male
  • Mesothelioma / diagnostic imaging
  • Mesothelioma / pathology*
  • Mesothelioma / surgery
  • Mesothelioma, Malignant
  • Middle Aged
  • Pleural Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Pleural Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Pleural Neoplasms / surgery
  • Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography
  • Thymoma / diagnostic imaging
  • Thymoma / pathology*
  • Thymoma / surgery
  • Thymus Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Thymus Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Thymus Neoplasms / surgery