Undifferentiated thymic carcinoma with intracranial metastasis in a two-year-old

Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann. 2018 Mar;26(3):239-241. doi: 10.1177/0218492318759346. Epub 2018 Feb 7.

Abstract

Thymic carcinoma with central nervous system involvement is very rare in children. A 27-month-old girl presented with a unilateral squint, vomiting, and behavioral changes. Imaging studies showed a silent anterior mediastinal mass and a large metastatic mass at the base of the skull. Biopsy of the anterior mediastinal mass confirmed an undifferentiated tumor consistent with thymic carcinoma. The child died within 3 months of the onset of symptoms, due to progression of the disease. These lethal tumors of unknown histogeneses and etiology are aggressive in nature, resistant to therapy, and have a rapidly fatal course.

Keywords: Brain; Child; Neoplasm metastasis; Thymoma; preschool.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis
  • Biopsy
  • Brain Neoplasms / chemistry
  • Brain Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Cell Differentiation*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Disease Progression
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Neoplasm Grading
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Thymoma / chemistry
  • Thymoma / diagnostic imaging
  • Thymoma / secondary*
  • Thymus Neoplasms / chemistry
  • Thymus Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Thymus Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Time Factors
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor