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Findings that shed new light on the possible pathogenesis of a disease or an adverse effect
Case report
Metastatic basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of thymic origin
  1. Samuel Phen1,
  2. Mindy X Wang2,
  3. Matthew Kelling2 and
  4. Gurjaspreet K Bhattal2
  1. 1 Department of Medicine, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
  2. 2 Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
  1. Correspondence to Mr Samuel Phen, sphen93{at}ufl.edu

Abstract

A 57-year-old man with a known anterior mediastinal mass presented with abdominal distension, jaundice, and signs of urinary and bowel obstruction. Labs revealed leukocytosis, transaminitis, direct hyperbilirubinaemia and elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase and uric acid. Subsequent imaging revealed the anterior mediastinal mass and diffuse liver lesions consistent with metastatic disease. MRI of the spine and brain were negative for metastases. Liver biopsy and immunohistochemistry revealed basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of thymic origin. Treatment with capecitabine was initiated but was complicated by worsening liver and kidney failure. Eventually, due to continued worsening of the patient’s condition and minimal treatment response, capecitabine was stopped during cycle 1 and the patient was discharged to inpatient hospice with comfort care. In this case report, we highlight the presenting features, imaging findings and management of a patient with metastatic thymic carcinoma.

  • drugs: gastrointestinal system
  • liver disease
  • chemotherapy
  • oncology
  • cancer intervention

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2018-228860

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors SP: provided medical care, performed the literature search, and drafted the manuscript. MXW: provided medical care, supplemented the radiological figures and critically revised the manuscript. MK: provided medical care, critically revised the manuscript and supplemented the pathology figures. GKB: provided medical care, coordinated research efforts and critically revised the manuscript; is the guarantor. All authors approved the final version of the paper.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

    • Patient consent for publication Next of kin consent obtained.