Surgery Resection of a Massive Thymic Carcinoma during Urgent Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

BACKGROUND: Thymic carcinoma is a very rare tumour. It is classified as thymoma type C according to World Health Organization classification. There are not many publications of simultaneous surgical treatment of thymoma during cardiac surgery interventions. CASE REPORT: We present a case of simultaneous surgical treatment of incidentally discovered thymic carcinoma during an urgent coronary artery by-pass operation. A 55-year-old man with diagnosis three coronary vessel diseases indicated urgent by-pass surgery. The patient underwent triple coronary bypass surgery. During the intervention, it was discovered incidentally a strong mass 15 x 12 cm located in the right pleural space. A tumour was excised totally, and biopsy referred thymoma type C or thymic carcinoma. The patient did very well early postoperatively. He was referred to oncologist clinicians for further treatment. The patient was clinically very good for at least 1.5 years after surgery. CONCLUSION: We think that simultaneous surgical treatment of thymoma, whenever it is encountered during cardiac surgery procedures, is the recommended solution.