Disappearance of recurrent thymic epithelial tumor following corticosteroid and cyclosporine treatment: A case report

Takashi Kurosaki; Yoshikazu Hasegawa; Yusuke Wada; Soichiro Funaki; Hisao Sano; Junya Fukuoka; Akira Okimura; Kiyoshi Mukai; Yuichi Ishikawa; Masahiro Fukuoka; Takayo Ota

doi:10.1016/j.resinv.2021.10.003

Disappearance of recurrent thymic epithelial tumor following corticosteroid and cyclosporine treatment: A case report

Respir Investig. 2022 Mar;60(2):322-325. doi: 10.1016/j.resinv.2021.10.003. Epub 2021 Nov 17.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Oncology, Izumi City General Hospital, 4-5-1 Wake, Izumi, Osaka, 594-0073, Japan; Department of Medical Oncology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2, Ohno-higashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, 589-8511, Japan.
² Department of Medical Oncology, Izumi City General Hospital, 4-5-1 Wake, Izumi, Osaka, 594-0073, Japan.
³ Department of Hematology, Izumi City General Hospital, 4-5-1, Wake, Izumi, Osaka, 594-0073, Japan.
⁴ Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2-L5 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565- 0871, Japan.
⁵ Department of Pathology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1, Sakamoto, Nagasaki, 852-8501, Japan.
⁶ Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center, 1163 Tatemachi, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo, 193-0998, Japan.
⁷ Department of Pathology, Keiyu Hospital, 3-7-3 Minatomirai Nishi-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, 220-8521, Japan.
⁸ Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, International University of Health and Welfare, 1-4-3 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8329, Japan.
⁹ Department of Medical Oncology, Izumi City General Hospital, 4-5-1 Wake, Izumi, Osaka, 594-0073, Japan. Electronic address: takayo.ota@gmail.com.

PMID: 34799281
DOI: 10.1016/j.resinv.2021.10.003

Abstract

Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are considered orphan neoplasms, and treatment options for recurrent or metastatic stages are limited. Here, we have reported a case of recurrent TET that showed complete remission after receiving high-dose corticosteroids followed by low-dose corticosteroids and cyclosporine. No recurrence was observed for the next 2 years. The effects of corticosteroids on the TET and the associated pure red cell aplasia led to adjustment of the diagnosis from thymic carcinoma to thymoma. Low-dose corticosteroids and cyclosporine might be the reason for remission maintenance.

Keywords: Corticosteroid; Cyclosporine; Glucocorticoid receptor; Pure red cell aplasia; Thymic epithelial tumor.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Adrenal Cortex Hormones
Cyclosporine
Humans
Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial*
Thymus Neoplasms* / drug therapy

Substances

Adrenal Cortex Hormones
Cyclosporine

Supplementary concepts

Thymic epithelial tumor