Thymic undifferentiated carcinoma

Definition

A undifferentiated thymic carcinoma without sarcomatoid features.

Epidemiology

Cases in children have been reported¹.

Histopathology

There is a case report of an undifferentiated thymic carcinoma with a benign rhabdomyomatous component³.

Immunohistochemistry

	Cytokeratin	1/12
	EMA	1/12
	CD5	0/12
	Chromogranin	0/12
	Synaptophysin	0/12
	p53	1/12
	bcl-2	1/12

Differential diagnosis

• Carcinoma with t(15;19) translocation.

• Large cell carcinoma of lung

References

⁰ Tumours of the Lung, Pleura, Thymus and Heart. WHO Classification of Tumours. IARC Press 2004.

¹ J Rosai et al. Histological typing of tumours of the thymus. WHO International histological classification of tumours. Springer-Verlag, second edition, 1999.

² Chalabreysse, L., B. Etienne-Mastroianni, et al. (2004). "Thymic carcinoma: a clinicopathological and immunohistological study of 19 cases." Histopathology 44(4): 367-74.

³ de Queiroga, E. M., H. Chikota, et al. (2004). "Rhabdomyomatous carcinoma of the thymus." Am J Surg Pathol 28(9): 1245-50.

This page last revised 13.3.2004.

©SMUHT/PW Bishop