Symptomatic giant thymolipoma in a child.

Thymolipomas are slow-growing benign tumors arising from the thymus. They are rare in children, are usually asymptomatic, and can attain enormous size at diagnosis. Contrast-enhanced computerized tomography (CECT) scan characterizes the thymolipomas as a fat-attenuating lesions in the anterior mediastinum. Surgical excision provides relief from symptoms and is the definitive management. We report a case of a symptomatic giant thymolipoma in a 5-year child to highlight issues in diagnosis and management.

Unilobar re-expansion pulmonary oedema following removal of a large intra-thoracic mass.

Re-expansion pulmonary oedema (RPE) is not so rare complication associated with sudden expansion of a collapsed lung. RPE has been most frequently reported following rapid drainage of a large pneumothorax or chronic pleural effusion. Development of RPE following removal of a large intrathoracic mass is not commonly recognised, though sporadic reports exist in the literature. RPE can be fatal, but early diagnosis with appropriate management usually leads to satisfactory outcomes. We report a case of RPE, which occurred following removal of a giant intra-thoracic mass and its subsequent management and outcome with a brief review of relevant literature.