Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome with primary thymic marginal zone B-cell lymphoma: A case report.

Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is an autoimmune paraneoplastic syndrome with proximal muscle weakness, that often complicates small cell lung cancer. It is known that neurological symptoms do not improve with malignancy treatment alone in many LEMS patients, therefore treatment is often difficult. Since Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome is a rare disease with a frequency of about 1/100 that of myasthenia gravis, there are only a few case reports on malignancy complications other than small cell lung cancer. We report a LEMS patient in his 40s who was found to have an anterior mediastinal mass. We performed surgical resection and confirmed the diagnosis of primary thymic marginal zone B-cell lymphoma by pathological diagnosis using immunostaining. Thymectomy and malignant lymphoma treatment with rituximab had no effect on neurological symptoms. The neurological symptoms improved only after we provided comprehensive care with the haematology, neurology, and rehabilitation department.

[Curative Resection of Sigmoid Colon Cancer with Multiple Liver Metastases by Long-Term Multidisciplinary Treatment].

A male patient in his 80s underwent colonic stenting for obstructive sigmoid colon cancer with multiple liver metastases. With systemic chemotherapy for approximately 1 year, the liver metastasis disappeared, so laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy was performed for the primary lesion. No recurrence was observed for a while, although CT revealed liver metastasis in the liver S4, and radiofrequency ablation was performed. Radiation therapy was performed for the liver metastasis of liver S2 that subsequently appeared. After a recurrence-free period of approximately 2 years, a rapid regrowth of liver metastasis in liver S2 was observed. Thus, 4 years and 3 months after the initial diagnosis, lateral segmentectomy of the liver was performed. Five years have passed since the first visit, and he is alive without recurrence. The patient had obstructive colorectal cancer with unresectable liver metastasis, and as the obstruction was released by a colonic stent, systemic chemotherapy was prioritized. Hence, liver metastasis was controlled, and the primary lesion was resected. Furthermore, for the liver metastasis that appeared later, various loco-regional cancer therapies were provided to achieve a cancer-free state.

Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors as first-line treatment for postoperative recurrent EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma: a multi-institutional retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyse the long-term survival outcomes and prognostic factors of patients receiving epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) as first-line treatment for postoperative recurrent EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Using a multi-institutional database, we performed a retrospective chart review to identify all patients who had undergone complete resection of stage I-III EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma at 11 acute care hospitals between 2009 and 2016 and had received first-line EGFR-TKI treatment for postoperative recurrence. Adverse events, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were investigated. Survival outcomes were assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for PFS and OS. RESULTS: The study sample comprised 154 patients with a median age of 69. The total numbers of events were 101 for PFS and 60 for OS. The median PFS and OS were 26.1 and 55.4 months, respectively. In the multivariable analysis, EGFR ex 21 L858R mutation (HR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.15-2.55) and shorter disease-free intervals (HR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.96-0.99) were significantly associated with shorter PFS. Age (HR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.00-1.07), smoking history (HR: 2.31, 95% CI: 1.35-3.94) and pathological N2 disease at the initial surgery (HR: 2.30, 95% CI: 1.32-4.00) were significantly associated with shorter OS. CONCLUSIONS: First-line EGFR-TKI treatment was generally associated with favourable survival outcomes in patients with postoperative recurrent EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma. EGFR ex 21 L858R mutation may be an important prognostic factor for shorter PFS.

Mediastinal tuberculosis following descending necrotizing mediastinitis: A case report.

Tuberculosis is a disease that causes latent infection and is sometimes activated by a variety of factors. Descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) is a serious disease caused by spreading oropharyngeal infection. We present a case of mediastinal tuberculosis following mediastinal dissection and antibiotic therapy for DNM. A 62-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with an increasing mass in the right mediastinum during outpatient follow-up after surgical drainage and antibiotic treatment for idiopathic cervical abscess and left DNM caused by oral bacteria. The patient underwent right mediastinal abscess dissection 4 months after the last surgery. As a result of culture tests, no general bacteria but Mycobacterium tuberculosis was detected. Anti-tuberculosis treatment was continued for 9 months, and the patient has progressed without any recurrence of infection. The possibility of relapse of tuberculosis should always be considered in patients with unexplained masses.

Left Lower Lobectomy in a Patient With Absence of Pulmonary Artery Branching Into the Lobe.

Here, we report a case in which we resected non-small cell lung cancer of the left lower lobe and detected an anomaly in the resected lobe. Three-dimensional computed tomography showed more detailed information on this anomaly than the conventional one. Because we recognized the information regarding the anomaly before the operation, we accomplished left lower lobectomy and an uneventful postoperative course. If carcinoma had existed in the other lobe, the intraoperative and postoperative course would have become more serious. Therefore, it is essential to pay attention to the information regarding anatomic abnormality when resecting malignant tumors.

Descending Necrotizing Mediastinitis Caused by Streptococcus pyogenes in a Child with Primary Epstein-Barr Virus Infection.

Descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) is a severe, life-threatening disease with a high mortality rate resulting from sepsis or other complications. DNM can also be a rare and severe complication of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection in adolescents and young adults but has never been reported in a pre-school child. A 4-year-old girl was admitted to our hospital with a 2-day history of fever and chest pain. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a right sided pleural effusion, fluid collection in the retropharyngeal and mediastinal areas, cervical lymphadenopathy, and marked hepatosplenomegaly. She was diagnosed with empyema, retropharyngeal abscess, and mediastinitis. To improve her dyspnea, a chest tube was inserted, and antibiotic treatment was initiated. Her condition improved temporarily, but on day 5 in our hospital, she developed a fever again. A repeat CT scan showed exacerbation of fluid retention in the retropharyngeal area and the mediastinum, for which she underwent drainage and debridement of necrotic tissue in the retropharynx and mediastinum. The presence of cervical lymphadenopathy and marked hepatosplenomegaly suggested the involvement of EBV. Serological tests for EBV revealed primary EBV infection at the time of the DNM onset. Finally, she was diagnosed with DNM following primary EBV infection. At follow-up 1 year later, she was doing well. The risk of DNM should be recognized in patients, even pre-school aged children, with primary EBV infection.

Lymph node dissection in thymic carcinomas and neuroendocrine carcinomas.

OBJECTIVES: Although lymph node (LN) metastases are not uncommon in thymic carcinomas, preoperative LN evaluation, intraoperative lymph node dissection (LND) and postoperative outcomes remain unknown. The aim of this study was to elucidate the characteristics of and outcomes in patients with thymic carcinomas and thymic neuroendocrine carcinomas undergoing LND. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed using our multi-institutional database to identify patients who underwent resection and LND for thymic carcinoma or thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma between 1991 and 2018. An enlarged mediastinal LN was defined as having a short-axis diameter >1 cm. We assessed survival outcomes using the Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: N1-level LND was performed in 41 patients (54.6%), N2-level LND in 14 patients (18.7%) and both-level LND in 16 patients (21.3%). Pathological LN metastasis was detected in 20 patients (26.7%) among the 75 patients undergoing LND. There was a significant difference in the number of LN stations (P = 0.015) and metastasis factor (P = 0.0042) between pathologically LN-positive and pathologically LN-negative patients. The sensitivity of enlarged LNs on preoperative computed tomography was 18.2%. There was a tendency towards worse overall survival of pathologically N2-positive patients, although the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.15). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative CT appears to play a limited role in detecting pathological LN metastases. Our findings suggest that the significance of N1- and N2-level LND should be evaluated in prospective studies to optimize the postoperative management of patients with thymic carcinomas and neuroendocrine carcinomas.

[A case of gastric perforation that occurred during the incubation period for infectious mononucleosis in an adolescent patient].

A 17-year-old young man visited our hospital because of severe upper abdominal pain and was diagnosed with acute peritonitis caused by gastrointestinal perforation. Emergent surgical treatment was performed, and the perforated lesion of the stomach was repaired. He recovered and was discharged without any complication at 14 days postoperatively. However, he had intermittent fever 2 days after discharge and visited our hospital again. He was diagnosed with infectious mononucleosis (IM), derived from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) initial infection, on biochemical examination that was positive for anti-EBV VCA-IgG and negative for EBV nuclear antigen, although he was ameliorated conservatively. This pathophysiology raised a possibility that EBV infection had induced acute gastritis or gastric ulcer leading to the penetration of the stomach. Six weeks postoperatively, esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a gastric ulcer in the vestibular part of the stomach. Pathologic examination of the stomach revealed mucosal erosion with B-cell infiltration into the lamina propria;however, Epstein-Barr viral infection was unclear by EBV-encoded small RNA in situ hybridization. Here, we report a rare case of gastric perforation that occurred during the incubation period of IM with a review of the relevant literature.

[A Case of Duodenal Adenocarcinoma in the Third Portion Treated with Partial Duodenectomy].

A 85-year-old man was admitted due to vomiting. Abdominal CT showed the remarkable expansion of the stomach and the stenotic lesion in the third portion of the duodenum. Duodenal endoscopy showed a circular tumor of the third potion of the duodenum, and biopsy disclosed tubular adenocarcinoma. Operation was performed on the basis of a diagnosis of primary duodenal cancer of the third portion. Liver metastasis, peritoneal dissemination, and apparent lymph node enlargement were not observed. The tumor was present in the third portion of the duodenum and partial duodenectomy was performed. Reconstruction was achieved by side to side anastomosis of the duodenum and the jejunum. Histopathological diagnosis was well differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma, SS, ly1, v1. Primary duodenal cancer is a relatively rare disease, and there are few cases of third portion. If pancreatic invasion and lymph node metastasis are not observed as in this case, it is necessary to examine the indication of partial duodenectomy.

[A Case of Unresectable Recurrent Colorectal Cancer with Regorafenib Treatment and Long-Term Survival].

This paper reports a case in which the patient has survived for 5 years and 6 months after recurrence of colorectal cancer by chemotherapy, and especially in regorafenib as fourth-line therapy has obtained stable disease(SD)for 2 years and 6 months. A man in his 70s underwent left hemicolectomy in the diagnosis of descending colon cancer. Four years and 4 months after the operation, abdominal CT revealed paraaortic lymph node metastasis. When SOX plus bevacizumab was performed as first-line therapy, partial response(PR)was obtained, and PR was maintained for a long time. After progressive disease(PD), IRIS was performed as second-line therapy, but the effect was not obtained. Panitumumab was started as third-line therapy, and PR was temporarily recognized, but since it became PD again, regorafenib was introduced as fourth- line therapy. After regorafenib administration, reduction of paraaortic lymph nodes and lowering of CEA are recognized, and long SD can be maintained. This case can be said to be 1 case in which the usefulness of regorafenib was shown as a salvage- line for unresectable colorectal cancer.

The treatment and survival of patients with postoperative recurrent thymic carcinoma and neuroendocrine carcinoma: a multicenter retrospective study.

PURPOSE: There are few data available on the outcomes of postoperative recurrent thymic carcinoma (TC) and thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma (TNEC). The aim of this study is to evaluate the treatment and survival in patients with recurrent TC and TNEC after undergoing surgical resection. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed using our multicenter database to identify patients with a postoperative recurrence of TC and TNEC from 1995 to 2018. The clinicopathological factors were reviewed and the survival outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: Sixty patients were identified among 152 patients who underwent resection of TC and TNEC. The median follow-up period from the first recurrence was 14.8 months (range 0-144). The 5-year post-recurrence survival was 23% for the whole cohort. According to a univariable analysis, advanced stage [hazard ratio (HR) 2.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09-9.54], interval between primary surgery and recurrence (HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.95-0.99), any treatment for recurrence (HR: 0.27, 95% CI 0.13-0.58) and chemotherapy for recurrence (HR: 0.46, 95% CI 0.22-0.95) were significant factors related to post-recurrence survival. CONCLUSIONS: Chemotherapy rather than surgery appears to be the mainstay treatment for managing patients with postoperative recurrent TC and TNEC and it may also be considered in multidisciplinary management. Further studies with a larger sample size are required to confirm our findings.

Pancreatic undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells curatively resected after pembrolizumab therapy for lung metastases: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Therapy targeting programmed death-1 or programmed death-1 ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) has been developed for various solid malignant tumors, such as melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but this approach has little effect in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells (UCOGC) is a rare pancreatic malignancy having unique morphology and is considered a variant of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Although UCOGC has been reported to have better prognosis than conventional PDAC, the optimal treatment for UCOGC with distant metastases has not been determined. CASE PRESENTATION: A 66-year-old man was initially diagnosed with NSCLC with multiple intrapulmonary metastases and abdominal lymph node metastasis in the tail of the pancreas, and bronchial biopsy and diagnostic imaging were performed. Pathologic examination of the lung showed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma cells expressing epithelial marker and PD-L1. Therefore, pembrolizumab monotherapy for NSCLC was given. The pulmonary lesions shrank markedly and were in complete remission after 8 months of anti-PD-1 therapy, though no therapeutic effect was observed in the pancreatic site. Distal pancreatectomy was then performed, and histopathological examination showed that the tumor was UCOGC originating from the pancreas. The histologic findings of the resected specimen mimicked those of the lung biopsy specimen, leading to the final assessment that the lung tumors were metastatic foci that migrated from the UCOGC, and only the metastatic lesions benefited from pembrolizumab therapy. CONCLUSION: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have limited therapeutic effects on primary lesions of pancreatic cancer, but they may exert antitumor effects on pulmonary metastases of UCOGC.

Hemothorax resulting from an initially masked aortic perforation caused by penetration of the sharp edge of a fractured rib: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: There are multiple causes of hemothorax in blunt chest trauma. However, a traumatic hemothorax with an uncertain cause is potentially life-threatening without treatment, because an undetected and hidden great vessel injury can remain unknown. Delayed diagnosis can lead to death. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 77-year-old man was transferred to a local hospital, after experiencing a 3-m fall. Contrast CT of the chest revealed a left clavicle fracture, multiple left rib fractures and hemopneumothorax, but no obvious signs of great vessel injury, such as aortic injury. His condition was stable, owing to the chest tube thoracostomy with 800 ml blood output and intravenous fluid. The patient was then transferred to our hospital for further treatment. However, his condition rapidly deteriorated in the ambulance on the way to our hospital, and he needed a blood transfusion. On arrival, he was in shock, with his vital signs compromised due to blood loss. Emergency open thoracotomy was performed to explore the bleeding point and stop hemorrhaging. Intraoperative findings revealed sharp edges of the fractured fourth and fifth left ribs to be protruding into the chest cavity toward the descending aorta and causing an aortic pinhole injury. Ruptured aorta was repaired with a pledget-armed sutures and the sharp fractured ribs were resected. The patient was discharged, uneventfully, 35 days after the operation. CONCLUSION: This case suggests that even if great vessel injury is not detected on contrast CT at admission, it should always be considered especially in a hemothorax case with multiple rib fractures.

Unilateral antibiotic-induced acute eosinophilic pneumonia on the operative side after surgery for primary lung cancer: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) is a rare idiopathic lung disease characterized by pulmonary eosinophilia. The epidemiology of AEP remains understudied; however, past reports have reported that AEP can be caused by an allergic reaction to medications, such as antibiotics or inhaled antigens, such as tobacco smoke. AEP usually occurs bilaterally. However, we encountered an unusual case of antibiotic-induced eosinophilic pneumonia showing unilateral consolidation just on the operative side, which was initially diagnosed as postoperative bacterial pneumonia and treated with antibiotic therapy. The prescribed antibiotics paradoxically provoked AEP and worsened the patient's condition. Here, we report this antibiotic-induced AEP case showing unilateral consolidation only on the operative side which could be triggered by surgery for primary lung cancer. CASE PRESENTATION: A 74-year-old man underwent right upper lobectomy for lung adenocarcinoma. On postoperative day (POD) 9, an interstitial shadow appeared in the right lower lung field of the chest radiographs, along with a fever of 38.5 °C, dyspnea needing oxygen supplementation, and increased purulent sputum production, suggesting postoperative bacterial pneumonia. Despite administration of the broad-spectrum antibiotic, meropenem, the fever did not improve, and pulmonary opacity gradually worsened. Blood analysis showed increased peripheral eosinophils at 1182/mm3. The meropenem treatment was discontinued and bronchoscopy was performed for further evaluation, and the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid assessment showed a remarkable increase in the eosinophil population (51%). The drug lymphocyte stimulation test (DLST) for meropenem was positive. We diagnosed the patient with antibiotic-induced unilateral AEP, after which corticosteroid treatment was initiated. The patient subsequently improved and the infiltration in the right lower lung field completely disappeared. The patient was discharged on POD 43 without oxygen supplementation and is doing well without tumor recurrence 16 months after the surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Unilateral drug-induced AEP is rare. Nonetheless, it should be recognized as a differential diagnosis of postoperative pneumonia even in cases of a unilateral radiographic infiltration, because the lung operation itself could trigger this type of AEP.

[A Case of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Carcinoma of the Pancreas Extending Widely within the Pancreas Resected by Total Pancreatectomy].

A 78-year-old woman visiting our hospital with the chief complaint of abdominal pain was diagnosed with ischemic colitis. CT pointed out pancreatic enlargement, so detailed pancreatic examination was conducted in parallel with treatment. In enhanced CT and MRI, the main pancreatic duct significantly extended over the entire length, and mural nodules scattered in the main pancreatic duct were observed. It was diagnosed with main duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), which is likely to be intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma(IPMC), and total pancreatectomy was performed. Pathological findings showed diffuse dilation of the main pancreatic duct, non-invasive IPMC progressed over approximately the entire length of the main pancreatic duct, mucinous carcinoma-tubular adenocarcinoma was widely infiltrated in pancreatic tissues around mural nodules. The cancer remained in the pancreas and was eventually diagnosed with IPMC, invasive, pT2, pN0, and pStage ⅠB. This case was an IPMN with high-risk stigmata, and it was an adaptive case of total pancreatectomy because mural nodules extended to the entire pancreas. In recent years, total pancreatectomy has come to be expected good results by the progress of diabetes treatment and the development of pancreatic enzyme agents, it is necessary to carefully judge each case for adaptation.

[Multimodal Therapy for Stage â £ Gallbladder Carcinoma Achieved Long-Term Survival-A Case Report].

A 75-year-old man with a chief complaint of abdominal pain visited our hospital and was diagnosed with Stage Ⅳ gallbladder carcinoma that infiltrated the transverse colon with distant lymph node metastases. He received gemcitabine plus cisplatin chemotherapy, which led the primary lesion to shrink. However, transverse colon obstruction occurred, and semi- urgent right hemicolectomy and extended cholecystectomy were performed. A year and 2 months after first diagnosis, an inferior pancreatic head lymph node swelling was detected. Chemoradiotherapy was performed using S-1, and the lymph node swelling was reduced. Despite continuous S-1 therapy, the lymph node gradually started to swell again, which led to duodenum obstruction by compression. He underwent gastrojejunal bypass; however, his general condition gradually worsened, and he died 2 years and 6 months after the first diagnosis. Even in cases of unresectable gallbladder carcinoma, multimodal therapy, such as surgery, chemoradiotherapy, and palliative gastrointestinal bypass, may archive a long prognosis of 2 years and 6 months.

[A Case of Resection of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Carcinoma Detected Due to Acute Pancreatitis].

A 67-year-old man visiting our hospital with the chief complaint of sudden upper abdominal pain was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Based on computed tomography findings, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm(IPMN)was suspected as the cause of the pancreatitis and detailed examination was conducted following its alleviation. Endoscopic retrograde and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography showed marked dilation of the main pancreatic duct, with a mural nodule inside the main pancreatic duct at the pancreatic head. Main duct IPMN was diagnosed and pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed 3 months after the onset of acute pancreatitis. The histopathological findings showed a tumor proliferating in a mold pattern in the lumen of the dilated main pancreatic duct, resulting in a diagnosis of intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma(IPMC). The presence of IPMN should be considered as a cause of acute pancreatitis; if findings suggestive of IPMN are found on imaging, detailed examinations and treatment are needed in consideration of the potential for malignancy following alleviation of pancreatitis.

[Short-Term and Long-Term Outcomes of Colonic Stenting as a Bridge to Surgery for Obstructive Colorectal Cancer].

We examined the short-term and long-term outcomes in 50 patients who underwent stenting as a bridge to surgery(BTS) for obstructive colorectal cancer. The patients comprised 30 men and 20 women, with a mean age of 74.0 years. Stenting and decompression were successful in all patients, and the mean time to oral intake after stenting was 2.4 days. No serious complications related to stenting occurred. Colonoscopy after stenting was important for the preoperative diagnosis of coexisting lesions and planning of the extent of resection. Elective and one-stage surgeries could be performed in all patients after stenting. Regarding long-term outcomes, the 5-year overall survival rate and disease-free survival rate in the BTS patients with Stage Ⅱ plus Ⅲ cancer were 73.1% and 55.7%, respectively. The results of this study suggest that BTS for obstructive colorectal cancer is an effective treatment strategy for not only short-term but also long-term outcomes.

Low incidence of and mortality from a second malignancy after resection of thymic carcinoma†.

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have suggested that a second malignancy often develops after resection of thymoma; however, it remains unknown whether this is applicable to thymic carcinoma. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed based on our multi-institutional database of resected thymic epithelial tumours between 1991 and 2016. A second malignancy was defined as newly diagnosed after thymic tumour resection. The cumulative incidence of and related death from a second malignancy after thymic and neuroendocrine carcinoma resections were estimated using a competing risk model and were compared to those of patients undergoing a thymoma resection. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty-eight patients were identified (thymic carcinoma 59; thymoma 179). A second malignancy developed in 1 patient (1.7%) with thymic carcinoma and in 17 patients (9.5%) with thymoma. Deaths from second malignancies were noted in 7 patients with thymoma. There was a tendency towards a lower cumulative incidence of and a lower cumulative death from a second malignancy after thymic carcinoma resection (P = 0.139 and P = 0.20, respectively) than after thymoma resection. The cumulative incidence of a second malignancy in patients with thymic carcinoma was 2.8% at 5 years and at 10 years (8.0% at 5 years and 11.8% at 10 years in patients with thymoma). CONCLUSIONS: After resection of thymic and thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma, the probability of developing a second malignancy, as well as mortality from a second malignancy, is very low. A prospective study with a larger sample size is required to validate our results.

Survival outcomes after minimally invasive thymectomy for early-stage thymic carcinoma.

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has occasionally been used for selected patients with thymoma, but there is little information on the MIS approach for thymic carcinoma. The aim of this study was to evaluate survival outcomes after MIS for early-stage (Masaoka stage I-II) thymic carcinoma and thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma. A retrospective chart review of the cases recorded in our multi-institutional database was performed to identify patients who underwent resection for thymic carcinoma between 1995 and 2017. MIS thymectomy was performed in 17 cases (VATS, n = 14; RATS, n = 3. male, 41%; median age, 72 years). The median follow-up period was 32.7 (range 7.4-106) months. The five-year overall survival and relapse-free survival rates were 84.4% and 77.8%, respectively. The present study demonstrated encouraging preliminary results regarding MIS for the treatment of early-stage thymic carcinoma and thymic neuroendocrine carcinoma. Further studies with a larger sample size are required to evaluate the indications for this surgery.