Cavernous hemangioma in the thymus: a case report

Cavernous hemangioma is not a neoplasm, but rather a congenital venous malformation with the potential to develop in all parts of the body, though it is very rarely seen in the thymus. We report a case of cavernous hemangioma in the thymus partially resected. A 71-year-old woman presented with pericardial discomfort, and chest computed tomography (CT) showed a left lateral mediastinal mass which was 2.0 × 1.2 × 1.8 cm in size, with border regularity and without calcification. Its interior was partially enhanced. Three-dimensional chest computed tomography image showed a tortuous vessel connecting to the tumor. Surgical resection was performed for the purpose of providing a definitive diagnosis and treatment because a mediastinal tumor such as thymoma or teratoma was suspected. Partial resection of the thymus including the mass was done by utilizing a three-port, left-sided video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) approach with hoisting of the third rib with the patient in a spinal position. A wine-colored mass bulging from the surface of the left lobe of the thymus was identified along with the communicating vessel which could only be cut with an energy device. It is considered that thymic partial resection using VATS is a better option for small and non-infiltrative lesions.