Giant thymoma successfully resected via median sternotomy and anterolateral thoracotomy: a case report

BACKGROUND: Some patients with thymoma present with a very large mass in the thoracic cavity. Although the most effective treatment for thymoma is surgical resection, it is difficult to perform because of the size of the tumor and the infiltration of tumor into the surrounding organs and vessels. We report a patient with a giant thymoma that was completely resected via a median sternotomy and left anterolateral thoracotomy. CASE PRESENTATION: A 63-year-old woman presented with a mass in the left thoracic cavity that was incidentally found on a chest X-ray. Chest computed tomography revealed a giant mass (16 × 10 cm) touching the chest wall and diaphragm and pressed against the heart and left upper pulmonary lobe. Complete resection was performed via a median sternotomy and left anterolateral thoracotomy. The tumor was histologically diagnosed as a WHO type B2 thymoma, Masaoka stage II. CONCLUSIONS: Giant thymomas tend to grow expansively without invasion into surrounding organs and vessels. Surgical resection that employs an adequate approach must be considered, regardless of the size of the tumor.