Giant mediastinal thymic cyst
Journal
Prilozi (Makedonska akademija na naukite i umetnostite. Oddelenie za medicinski nauki)
Date Issued
2017
Author(s)
Goge Damjanovski
Imran Ferati
Ivan Karapetrov
Abstract
The authors present a rare case of giant mediastinal cyst which arises from the thymus gland, and
goes down in both pleural spaces, especially in the right chest cavity where a dominant part of the
cyst was present. The cyst was full with 2.5 liters of transparent fluid, and compressed surrounding
structures – heart and both lungs, especially the right one which was partially collapsed.
The patient was a 52 years old woman, without any clinical symptoms. Accidentally, on the
screened chest X-ray a shading in the distal third of the right chest was detected.
The case was well documented with a CT of the chest, and an indication for surgical treatment was
made. The surgery was done successfully in general anesthesia according to the small right anterior
thoracotomy from which a giant part of the cyst was mobilized, which was in the right pleural cavity,
but, also, the thymus with the origin of the cyst in the anterior and superior mediastinum was
completely removed. In the end, a part of the cyst which was in the left pleural cavity was removed.
goes down in both pleural spaces, especially in the right chest cavity where a dominant part of the
cyst was present. The cyst was full with 2.5 liters of transparent fluid, and compressed surrounding
structures – heart and both lungs, especially the right one which was partially collapsed.
The patient was a 52 years old woman, without any clinical symptoms. Accidentally, on the
screened chest X-ray a shading in the distal third of the right chest was detected.
The case was well documented with a CT of the chest, and an indication for surgical treatment was
made. The surgery was done successfully in general anesthesia according to the small right anterior
thoracotomy from which a giant part of the cyst was mobilized, which was in the right pleural cavity,
but, also, the thymus with the origin of the cyst in the anterior and superior mediastinum was
completely removed. In the end, a part of the cyst which was in the left pleural cavity was removed.