A Case of Concurrent Thymic Carcinoma with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Lee, Young Joo; Choi, Sang Tae; Kim, Se Hyun; Jung, Kyung Soo; Yoon, Sul Hee; Jeung, Soo Jin; Yi, Seung Woo; Kim, Joo Hang

doi:2007.62.1.67

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 62(1); 2007 > Article

Case Report

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2007;62(1):67-70.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2007.62.1.67 Published online January 1, 2007.

A Case of Concurrent Thymic Carcinoma with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Young Joo Lee, Sang Tae Choi, Se Hyun Kim, Kyung Soo Jung, Sul Hee Yoon, Soo Jin Jeung, Seung Woo Yi, Joo Hang Kim

Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. kjhang@yumc.yonsei.ac.kr

Abstract

A thymic carcinoma is a rare malignant neoplasm of the thymus epithelium, which can be distinguished from a benign or invasive thymoma. Contrary to a thymoma, the association of a thymic carcinoma and autoimmune disease is rare, with only a few cases having been reported. Herein, a case of thymic carcinoma diagnosed concurrently with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is reported. A 49 year-old man presented at our clinic with myalgia. He was diagnosed with SLE, based on an oral ulcer, lymphopenia, and positive ANA and anti-Sm antibodies. Incidentally, a routine chest X-ray showed a large mediastinal mass. Pathological examination of the mediastinal mass revealed an undifferentiated thymic carcinoma, of WHO classification type C. Further work-up for staging showed multiple bone and lung metastases. With a palliative aim, he received systemic chemotherapy, but refused further chemotherapy after the 2nd course. Currently, the patient has not been followed up since the chemotherapy.

Key Words: Thymic carcinoma, Systemic lupus erythematosus, Autoimmune disease