Invasive malignant thymoma in early pregnancy

ABSTRACT

Thymomas are an uncommon tumor of the mediastinum. When they are malignant it is even rarer for a young or pregnant woman to be affected. The condition has a bad prognosis unless surgery is followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy, which must be instituted. The urgency of treatment makes medical termination of pregnancy an important procedure, particularly if the tumor is discovered in early pregnancy. We present here the first case reported in Bahrain of an invasive malignant thymoma in early pregnancy. The epidemiology, pathology and management of such cases are discussed