Concurrent invasive thymoma and T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoma. A case report with necropsy findings and literature review of thymoma and associated hematologic neoplasm.

Abstract

Thymoma is associated with benign and neoplastic diseases. The authors report the concurrence of invasive thymoma and T-lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma in a 95-year-old man. The hematologic malignancy was suspected terminally, whereas the thymoma was discovered at necropsy. The lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma had a clonally rearranged T-cell receptor beta-chain gene and a mature thymocyte immunophenotype. No retroviral gene sequences (human immunodeficiency virus 1 and 2, and human T-cell leukemia virus 1 and 2) were identified by polymerase chain reaction and hybridization analysis. The association of thymoma with hematologic neoplasm is reviewed.