[Thymic Carcinoma with Massive Pericardial Effusion:Report of a Case].

Abstract

A 70-years-old man visited our hospital with complaints of palpitations and shortness of breath from five days ago. Chest computed tomography( CT) revealed a solid tumor with 74 mm in diameter at the right anterior mediastinum and massive pericardial effusion. No malignant cells were noted in the pericardial effusion collected by pericardiocentesis. Based on the CT findings we judged the tumor completely extirpated. Pathologic diagnosis of the tumor was thymic carcinoma and microscopically no tumor exposure to pericardial cavity was found. Thymic carcinoma with massive pericardial effusion is extremely rare and only two cases were reported which can be resected.