Tumor carcinóide do timo - Caso clínico

primary neuroendocrine tumours (carcinoid tumours) account for about 4% of anterior mediastinal tumours concerning thymus localization. they appear to have a male predilection (3:1 ratio) and occur mostly between 40 and 60 years of age. classified primarily as thymomas, they have been considered a different group of thymic neoplasia since 1972. they can be biologically active, mostly associated with men-1 (19-25% of patients and more aggressive in these cases). as a locally invasive disease, with recurrence and metastasis in a high percentage of cases, it correlates with a poor prognosis. staging is the most important determinant of survival. encapsulated tumours diagnosed in early stages have an excellent prognosis, while locally invasive tumours in more advanced stages have a relatively poor prognosis as happens with thymomas. complete surgical removal is the critical factor for long-term survival rates and the basis for treatment of all thymic tumours, independent of histologic type. as an important cause of death, especially in carcinoid tumours associated with men-1 and cushing？s syndrome, some authors advocate the need for profilactic thymectomy in these patients.