Thymic mucinous adenocarcinoma

There has been a case report of a mucinous (colloid) adenocarcinoma of the thymus in a 15 year old boy

Immunohistochemistry

	CD5	focal and weak
	34bE12	negative
	CK5/6	negative
	CK7	focally positive
	CK20	focally positive
	Chromogranin	rare positive cells
	CD20	negative
	CA-125	focally positive

Differential diagnosis

• metastatic adenocarcinoma

• thymic germ cell tumour

• thymic carcinoid with mucinous stroma: there is strong positivity for both chromogranin and synaptophysin. The mucin is of stromal type (hyaluronic acid).

References

Choi, W. W., Y. H. Lui, et al. (2003). "Adenocarcinoma of the thymus: report of two cases, including a previously undescribed mucinous subtype." Am J Surg Pathol 27(1): 124-30.

This page last revised 30.3.2004.

©SMUHT/PW Bishop