Respiratory failure caused by giant thymolipoma.

The authors present the case of a 31-year-old woman with a massive anterior mediastinal tumor who presented with respiratory failure. A thoracic computed tomographic scan suggested a mediastinal lipomatous mass, and an operation was performed. Resection of the tumor resulted in immediate improvement in the patient's pulmonary status, and the histopathologic examination revealed thymolipoma. Because thymolipoma can attain enormous dimensions and compress adjacent structures, it should be immediately resected.