Types
Thymomas display a spectrum of neoplastic behaviours, types A-C : (1)
Thymoma (majority of thymic tumours)
- Type A: medullary, spindle cell
- Type AB: mixed
- Type B1: predominantly cortical, organoid
- Type B2: cortical
- Type B3: well-differentiated thymic carcinoma, squamoid.
Type C represents thymic carcinomas and comprises approximately 15% of thymic neoplasms:
- Tumours with low malignant potential include well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, basaloid carcinoma, and muco-epidermoid carcinoma.
- Tumours with more aggressive malignant potential include high-grade lympho-epithelial-like carcinoma, undifferentiated/anaplastic carcinoma, sarcomatoid, and clear-cell carcinomas.
Neuro-endocrine tumours of the thymus (NETT) are extremely rare:
- Small cell carcinoma
- Carcinoid
- Atypical carcinoid.
Reference
- Marx A, Chan JKC, Chalabreysse L, et al. The 2021 WHO classification of tumours of the thymus and mediastinum: what Is new in thymic epithelial, germ cell, and mesenchymal tumours? J Thorac Oncol. 2022 Feb;17(2):200-13.
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