Clinical Analysis of Surgical Treatment and Risk Factors of Thymoma

Lim, Cheong; Sung, Sook Whan; Kim, Joo Hyun

Abstract

Though thymoma is considered benign in a histopathologic specimen, its unusual behavior makes it important for surgeons to manage this neoplasm as cancerous lesion. Hence we clinically analysed the surgical cases of thymoma in our hospital, and we suggest the risk factors for its prognosis. From January 1987 to December 1994, we experienced 41 surgical cases of thymoma, excluding thymic carcinoma and cysts. There were 21 male and 20 female; age ranged from 16 to 64 years. Among them, myasthenia gravis was present in 22 patients (53.7%). Surgical treatment consisted of complete resection in 31 patients, partial resection in 7 patients, and biopsy only in 3 patients. According to Masaoka's classification, there were 27 patients in stage I, 4 patients in stage II, and 10 patients in stage III. Histopathology was of epithelial type in 14 patients, lymphocytic type in 11, and mixed type in 19. Eleven patients had adjuvant radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or both and there was no surgical mortality. Postoperative follow-up ranged from 1 to 88 months (mean 36 months) and three patients died and 5 patients suffered recurrences during the follow-up period. Postoperative risk factors were advanced Masaoka stage, invasiveness, and surgical method.