Primary Intrapericardialthymoma Stage Iv. From A Rare Case Presentation To The Relevance Of An Optimal Surgical Treatment

Thymoma is the most common tumor of the anterior mediastinum. They are mainly located in the anterior mediastinum (90%), because it is the usual location of the thymic gland. Besides this orthotopic presentation, primary ectopic thymoma can be found in other anatomical sites, including middle and posterior mediastinum, neck, skull base, lung parenchyma, pleural cavity, etc. Very rarely, thymomas appear primary in pericardium. Due to its unusual presentation, diagnosis and treatment, we report a case of primary intrapericardialthymoma, stage iv, and its evolution after combined treatment, in relation to the literature. Thus, patients undergoing surgical treatment with complete or subtotal tumor resection have the best survival rates. Therefore, surgical treatment must be considered in most patients, even if the main goal is only reduce the tumoral mass. This fact allows to increase the quality of life of patients, making possible the use of coadjuvant treatment. We note that Cardiac Magnetic Resonance and current video thoracoscopic techniques are particularly useful for the detailed planning of the surgical procedure. (C) 2014 Sociedad Espanola de Cirugia Toracica-Cardiovascular. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. All rights reserved.