Table 2 Reported cases of benign thymic hyperplasia

Symptomatic cases

Oh [17]

1

F

15

15 × 10 × 2 cm, 102 g

Pulmonary infection

Fluoroscopy, angiography

Histology

Open resection

None

2

F

14

8.4 × 2.8 × 1.4 cm, 20 g

Upper respiratory infection

Fluoroscopy

Histology

Open resection

None

Ruco [5]

-

M

5

950 g

Dyspnea

None

Histology

Open resection

None

O'Shea [18]

-

M

1

420 g

Dyspnea, lymphocytosis

CXR

FNA, histology

Steroids, open resection

5 months

Barcia [19]

2

M

4

47-92 g

Pulmonary infection

CXR

Histology

Open resection

1 month

3

M

1

47-92 g

Pulmonary infection

CXR

Histology

Open resection

1 month

11

F

9

47-92 g

Chest discomfort

CXR

Histology

Steroids, open resection

1.5 years

Rasore-Quintino [20]

-

M

4

800 g

Pulmonary infection

⁹⁹Technetium scan

Histology

Open resection

None

Lack [6]

2

M

11

15.2 cm,

324 g

Mild dyspnea, URI

CXR

Histology

Open resection

9 years

Lamesch AJ [21]

-

M

6/12

230 g

Respiratory distress

CXR

Histology

Ventilation, steroids, open resection

6 years

Parker [11]

-

M

1 3/12

200 g

Pulmonary infection

CXR, US, fluoroscopy, CT

Histology

Open resection

None

Kobayashi [22]

1

M

1/12

-

Respiratory distress, lymphocytosis

CXR, CT

None

Observation, steroids

Intensive care unit admission, no follow-up

2

M

2/12

-

Respiratory distress, lymphocytosis

CXR, CT

None

Observation, steroids

None

3

M

4/12

-

Pulmonary infection, lymphocytosis

CXR, CT

None

Observation, steroids

None

4

F

1/12

-

Respiratory distress, lymphocytosis

CXR, CT

None

Observation

None

Nezelof [23]

1

F

10

93 g

Cough

CXR

Histology

Open resection

None/uneventful follow up

Judd [24]

-

M

12

13 × 8 × 3.5 cm, 245 g

Wheezing, dysphagia

CXR

Basic laboratory tests, histology

Open resection

None

Ricci [2]

3

M

14

850 g

Dyspnea, altered LFTs, atelectasis

CXR, CT

ECG, LFTs, histology

Open resection

9 years

4

M

5

950 g

Dyspnea

CXR, CT

ECG, EMG, LFTs, biopsy ×2, histology

Open partial resection

Wound infection, osteomyelitis, lung atelectasis/1 month

Linegar [8]

1

F

2/12

220 g

URI, lymphocytosis, splenomegaly

CXR, CT

Histology

Open resection

3 months

2

M

3

18 × 10 × 6 cm, 855 g

Recurrent URI, lymphocytosis

CXR

Histology

Open resection

None

3

M

6

1260 g

Wheezing, dyspnea, respiratory distress

CXR, CT

FNA, histology

N/A

None

4

M

3

100 g

Recurrent URI

CXR

Histology

Open resection

None

Lee [25]

1

F

3/12

-

Persistent URI, lymphocytosis

CT

Open biopsy, histology

Observation

1 year

2

M

11/12

500 g

URI, lymphocytosis, mediastinal shift

CT

Histology

Open resection

None

Bangerter [9]

8

M

1/12

5x6 cm

Acute airway obstruction

Imaging not further specified

U/S guided FNA, histology

Steroids

Death 10 months after diagnosis of unknown cause/8 months

Hoerl [10]

-

M

5/12

4.6 cm AP

Choking

CT

FNA, histology

Observation

1 year

Tareen [26]

1

M

3/12

-

Persisting URI

CT, CXR, US

None

Steroids, observation

6 months

2

M

8/12

-

Recurrent URI, dyspnea, tachypnea

CXR, CT

FNA, histology

Open resection

6 months

Sosothikul [27]

-

M

4

-

Dyspnea, wheeze

CXR, CT

BMA, histology

Observation

Involution/1 month

Gow [28]

-

F

6/12

N/A

Respiratory symptoms

Imaging not further specified

Flow cytometry, histology

Open resection

1 year

Piednoir [29]

-

M

3/12

-

Anesthesia related respiratory distress, incidental finding

CT

None

Observation

Involution/2 years

Szarf [30]

-

M

2

830 g

Fever, dry cough and dyspnea

CXR, CT

Alpha-FP, beta-HCG, FNA, histology

Steroids, open resection

Reoccurrence of symptoms

Tan [31]

-

F

9/12

17.5 × 11 × 5

Upper respiratory infection

CXR, MRI

FNA, histology

Steroids, open resection

None

Asymptomatic cases

Oh [17]

3

F

10

80 g

Incidental finding

Fluoroscopy

Basic laboratory tests, histology

Open resection

None

Katz [32]

-

M

7/12

9 × 8 × 6 cm, 224 g

Incidental finding, lymphocytosis

CT, upper GI, IV pyelography

Immunologic studies, BMA, histology

Open resection

Hypogamma-globulinemia/4 years

Barcia [19]

1

M

4

47-92 g

Incidental finding

CXR

Histology

Open resection

1 year

5

F

11

47-92 g

Incidental finding

CXR

Histology

Steroids, open resection

3 months

6

F

3

47-92 g

Incidental finding

CXR

Histology

Open resection

3 months

7

M

4

47-92 g

Incidental finding

CXR

Histology

Open resection

1 year

8

M

4

47-92 g

Incidental finding

CXR

Histology

Open resection

2 years

9

F

7

47-92 g

Incidental finding

CXR

Histology

Steroids, open resection

1.5 years

10

M

13

47-92 g

Incidental finding

CXR

Histology

Open resection

4 months

Lee [33]

-

F

2

19 × 12 × 4.5 cm

Incidental finding

CXR

Histology

Oral steroids, open resection

None

Lack [6]

1

M

14

490 g

Incidental finding, lymphocytosis

CXR

Histology

Open resection

17 years

Nezelof [23]

2

F

5

N/A

Incidental finding

CXR, mediastinoscopy

Basic laboratory tests, biopsy, histology

Observation

None/uneventful follow up

3

F

11

N/A

Incidental finding

CXR, mediastinoscopy

Biopsy, histology

Observation

None

Arliss [34]

-

M

15

17 × 16 × 6 cm, 680 g

Incidental finding, lymphocytosis

CXR, CT

Histology

Open resection

1 4/12 years

Ricci [2]

1

M

16

13 cm,

250 g

Incidental finding

CXR, CT

ECG, EMG, LFTs, histology

Open resection

12 years

2

M

12

7.5 cm,

120 g

Incidental finding

CXR, CT

ECG, EMG, LFTs, histology

Open resection

7 years

Rice [3]

-

M

10

482 g

Incidental finding

MRI

BMA, histology

Open resection

None

Bangerter [9]

1

F

5

3 × 5

N/A

Imaging not further specified

U/S guided FNA, histology

N/A

9 years

6

F

8

1.5 × 1

N/A

Imaging not further specified

U/S guided FNA, immunopheno-typing, histology

N/A

8 months

Current case

-

F

2

Incidental finding

CRX, CT, PET

Core needle biopsy

Observation