Abstract
Massive thymic hyperplasia (MTH) is rare in the pediatric age group, especially in infants. However, because of a wide variation in size and weight of the thymus, an enlarged gland is often resected because of suspicion of a neoplasm or a cyst. Some cases of thymoma resembling pulmonary acute infection occur less frequently than MTH, but if respiratory problems are accompanied by a large thymus immediate diagnosis is often necessary to differentiate between these two conditions. Four infants (14 days to 4 months of age) with MTH were recently studied, all having an acute onset of a severe respiratory distress. The infants were referred to our center with a tentative diagnosis of thymic or other intrathoracic tumors. The following case reports illustrate our diagnostic approach to evaluate patients with symptoms suggesting MTH and the response to the “steroid test”.
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Kobayashi, T., Hirabayashi, Y. & Kobayashi, Y. Diagnostic value of plain chest roentgenogram and CT scan findings in four cases of massive thymic hyperplasia. Pediatr Radiol 16, 452–455 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02387955
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02387955