Up to half of thymomas do not produce any symptoms or signs, and they are first diagnosed when physicians perform an imaging study of the chest for another reason. Shortness of breath. The lymph nodes in my neck have been growing (they've been scanning them . the most important is Myasthenia Gravis. Most thymomas have the potential to behave like a cancer and spread beyond the thymus, but many appear to behave in a benign fashion and are noninvasive. Tumors in the thymus can press on nearby structures, causing symptoms such as: Shortness of breath. Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone. : An "enlarged" thymus gland "attached to breast bone" with chest pain and shortness of breath, needs to be evaluated by an endocrinologist and possibly. An enlarged thymus can press on the trachea, which can lead to coughing or trouble breathing. Have the tumor biopsied after surgery. Thank. In patients over 15 years with an enlarged thymus, chemical shift MR and fat-suppressed T 2 weighted or short tau inversion recovery (STIR) imaging can diagnose thymic hyperplasia by detecting fatty infiltration or fat in the thymus, helping to differentiate from a neoplastic process. Hyperplastic thymus can cause local symptoms like cyanosis, dyspnea, superior vena cava syndrome due to compression of local structures. Symptoms of thymoma or thymic cancer may include: persistent cough Loss of appetite. A thymoma is a type of tumor or growth in the thymus gland. The thymus is near the superior vena cava, the main blood vessel bringing blood from the head and upper body to the heart. Learn how we can help. There are many possible causes for an enlarged thymus gland in adults. Trouble swallowing. Physicians describe thymomas in terms of their degree of spread. Symptoms of Thymoma and Myasthenia Gravis. The T-cells help your immune system fight disease and infection. Hi all! Read More. Less commonly, it appears to have spread beyond the thymus. Cough (which may be bloody) Chest pain. Your thymus is a small gland in the lymphatic system that makes and trains special white blood cells called T-cells. UBR: General Health: 0: 09-09-2005 06:48 PM: Enlarged Thymus, New Symptoms, Surprising "Diagnosis" -- Any Ideas Welcome: UBR: General Health: 0: . Symptoms of Thymus Cancer. UBR: Open to All Other Health Topics: 1: 09-10-2005 02:58 AM: Enlarged Thymus, Now Unlikely "Diagnosis" and New Symptoms -- Any Ideas WELCOME! Shortness of breath can also indicate a respiratory or heart condition so check with your doctor about these symptoms. The function of the thymus is not definitely known, but it would appear to be inter-related in some manner with the sex glands, the thyroid, and the suprarenals. Hyperplastic thymus can cause local symptoms like cyanosis, dyspnea, superior vena cava syndrome due to compression of local structures. Symptoms- blurry vision, limb weakness, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue that gets worse in heat, left eye droops lower than right, all these symptoms improve after rest and worsen with any type of physical activity. Thoracic Surgeon. Thymoma refers to a cancerous tumor of the thymus gland, which is a gland located in the front of the space between the upper lungs.Thymomas usually grow slowly and do not spread beyond the thymus. The other school denies that the thymus gland plays any part in producing symptoms in children and ascribes the symptoms to other conditions. 8. The lymphatic system is composed of lymphatic vessels and lymphoid organs such as the thymus, tonsils, lymph nodes, and spleen. Thymic hyperplasia could be due to an increase in the number of thymic epithelial cells or hyperplastic lymphoid follicles. 5.7k views Answered >2 years ago. The range of medical conditions which can cause thyroid gland enlargement include: Thyroid nodules and thyroid cysts (VERY common with up to 4-10% of the entire population who has one of these) Thyroiditis caused by inflammation, infection, or autoimmune disease. A thoracic surgeon removed it and fortunately it turned out to be a benign thymoma. Other times a doctor will need to perform a needle biopsy first to confirm it is a thymoma. The thymus is a small organ located just behind the breastbone, in the space in the chest between the lungs, in front of and above the heart. The thymus is near the superior vena cava, the main blood vessel bringing blood from your head and upper body to your heart. This is not a new disease, as the association of sudden death with . I have been to specialist after specialist. One symptom of an overactive thymus gland is shortness of breath. Symptoms of thymus cancer. THIS condition may be defined as a pathologic enlargement of the thymus gland and hyperplasia of other lymphoid tissues of the body in which there is unstable equilibrium of the vital forces to such an extent that small accidents, minor operations, or even light anesthetics, cause failure of respiratory and cardiac activity. No patient (0/18; 0%) with an asymptomatic diffusely enlarged thymus gland had a pathologic diagnosis that would have required resection (8 normal; 10 "hyperplasia"). CT-scan or MRI of the chest is used for diagnosis. What does Thymoma mean and enlarged Thymus? It can also cause symptoms that seem like a bad cold or flu, including: Fevers. Loss of appetite. In the past, very young children with an enlarged thymus gland were often treated with radiation to shrink the gland. Enlarged Thymus, New Symptoms, Strange Diagnosis -- Help! The most common symptom of thymic lymphoma is enlarged and swollen lymph nodes around your neck. A recent CT of the neck showed thymus hyperplasia. Symptoms from an enlarged thymus. Of the 36 diffusely enlarged thymus glands, 18 (50%) occurred in patients with no symptoms referable to the thymus. Many times, this cancer is found . The T-cell subtype of ALL often affects the thymus, which is a small organ in the middle of the chest behind the sternum (breastbone) and in front of the trachea (windpipe). . It can also cause systemic symptoms due to autoimmune diseases like myasthenia gravis. It is, however, not essential to life or . However, two years later I was diagnosed with the the relatively rare autoimmune disease MG (myesthenia gravis). Weight loss. Larger tumors that press on this vessel can cause symptoms of superior vena cava syndrome, which can include: The thymus organ is critical for immune . It can also cause systemic symptoms due to autoimmune diseases like myasthenia gravis. In normal adults, the thymus gland should be barely visible. Trouble swallowing. After puberty the thymus decreases in size and is replaced by body fat. I have been having shortness of breath, chest pain, choking feeling, trouble swallowing, neuro symptoms, vision symptoms etc, since at least 2011. Sometimes your doctor may do a surgery biopsy (remove the tumor) without a needle biopsy if the evidence of thymoma is strong (lab tests and imaging tests). Some of the causes are benign, but others are worrisome. Of the 18 symptomatic patients with diffusely enlarged glands . Cough (which may bring up bloody sputum) Chest pain. Nighttime sweats . What happens if the thymus gland is enlarged? Apparently an enlarged thymus can be an indicator of this disease and its removal is often a course of treatment. According to the American Cancer Society, roughly 4 out of 10 people have no symptoms when they're diagnosed with thymus cancer. Enlarged Thymus on CT . As adults, these patients have an increased risk for the development of thyroid cancer and thymic lymphoma. if you have symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis (eye droop, double vision, neck weakness, jaw fatigue with chewing . The thymus is part of the body's immune system, but it is only active until puberty. This can result in coughing, wheezing and difficulty in breathing, especially after running or other physical activity. Shortness of Breath. Answer Question. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. An enlarged thymus gland syndrome is manifested by the following symptoms: heart rhythm disturbance, rapid weight gain or weight loss, pallor, frequent regurgitation, sweating, venous mesh on the chest, decreased muscle tone, blueness of the skin during crying and exertion, overweight at birth, and other developmental anomalies ( syndactyly . Weight loss. . Thyroid cancer or other cancers. In thymic hyperplasia there is a drop in signal intensity at . The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Thymus Cancer includes the 10 symptoms listed below: Shortness of breath. Your thymus gland produces most of your T-cells before birth. Thymic tumors are tumors of the thymus gland. The thymus gland, a part of your immune system situated in the upper chest beneath the breastbone, may trigger or maintain the production of antibodies that result in the muscle weakness. The rest are made in childhood and you'll have all the T-cells you need for life by the time you hit . These assist in acquired and innate immunity, in filtering and draining the interstitial fluid, and recycling cells at the end of their life cycle. When an enlarged thymus gland is due to overgrowth of thymus tissue, it is usually a sign of autoimmune disease, although there is also a condition in children where the thymus . Increased risk for the development of thyroid cancer and thymic lymphoma a drop in signal intensity at persistent Loss... 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