Multiple lung metastases from typical type A thymoma after long-term follow-up: a case report.

BACKGROUND

Typical type A thymomas are slow-growing tumors generally associated with a favorable clinical course, and distant metastasis is exceedingly rare.

CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of multiple lung metastases from a typical type A thymoma in a 74-year-old man, identified 9 years after the initial detection of an anterior mediastinal nodule. The patient underwent simultaneous thymectomy and wedge resection of the pulmonary nodule. Histopathological examination confirmed a diagnosis of typical type A thymoma with pulmonary metastases. Postoperatively, the patient was also diagnosed with prostate cancer as a secondary malignancy. At 2-year follow-up, without any postoperative treatment, there was no evidence of progression or development of new pulmonary lesions.

CONCLUSION

This case underscores the potential for distant metastasis in patients with otherwise indolent, typical type A thymomas, highlighting the need for long-term surveillance.