Case Report
Copyright ©2005 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. May 28, 2005; 11(20): 3165-3166
Published online May 28, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i20.3165
Retrotracheal thymoma masquerading as esophageal submucosal tumor
Sheung-Fat Ko, Yuan-Hsiung Tsai, Hsuan-Ying Huang, Shu-Hang Ng, Fu-Ming Fang, Yeh Tang, Ming-Tse Sung, Ming-Jang Hsieh
Sheung-Fat Ko, Yuan-Hsiung Tsai, Shu-Hang Ng, Fu-Ming Fang, Departments of Radiology, Chang Gung University, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung Hsien, Taiwan, China
Hsuan-Ying Huang, Ming-Tse Sung, Departments of Pathology, Chang Gung University, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung Hsien, Taiwan, China
Yeh Tang, Departments of Oncology, Chang Gung University, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung Hsien, Taiwan, China
Ming-Jang Hsieh, Departments of Thoracic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung Hsien, Taiwan, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Ming-Jang Hsieh MD, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kaohsiung, 123 Ta-Pei Road, Niao-Sung, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan, China. sfatko@adm.cgmh.org.tw
Telephone: +886-7-7317123-2579 Fax: +886-7-7338762
Received: September 21, 2004
Revised: September 22, 2004
Accepted: September 30, 2004
Published online: May 28, 2005
Abstract

A 42-year-old man presented with a two-year history of progressive dysphagia and hoarseness. Esophagogram and endoscopy revealed submucosal mass effect on the upper esophagus. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed an elongated mass in the retrotracheal region of the lower neck with extension to the posterior mediastinum. Partial tumor resection and histopathological evaluation revealed a WHO type B2 thymoma. Adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy were subsequently administered resulting in complete tumor regression. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ectopic retrotracheal thymoma with clinical and imaging manifestations mimicking those for esophageal submucosal tumor.

Keywords: Dysphagia; Hoarseness