Mediastinal carcinoid tumors are represented by thymic carcinoid neoplasms. Primary carcinoid tumors of the thymus were first described in 1972. The term carcinoid is an old term that refers to a carcinoma-like appearance of the tumors and is often used interchangeably with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Thymic carcinoid tumors are rare neoplasms arising from the thymus deriving from the foregut, being the least common of all NETs.
Contrary to most NETs that originate from the gastrointestinal tract or the lungs, thymic neuroendocrine tumors are malignant in more than 80% of cases and display aggressive biological behavior. The World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015 classified thymic carcinoid tumors into 4 different categories. Typical and atypical carcinoids, which are well-differentiated neoplasms, and small-cell and large-cell carcinoid tumors, which are poorly differentiated.
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