# Hide-and-Seek With Spindle-Cell-Component-Poor Metaplastic Thymoma

**Authors:** Gintarė Ražanskienė, Vilhelmas Landsbergis, Vytenis Bertašius, Rimvydas Norvilas, Ugnius Mickys

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.60136 · 2024-05-12

## TL;DR

This paper describes a rare case of metaplastic thymoma that resembles a more common type A thymoma and is linked to psoriasis.

## Contribution

The first published case of metaplastic thymoma with associated psoriasis and sparse spindle-cell component.

## Key findings

- Metaplastic thymoma with minimal spindle-cell component can mimic type A thymoma histologically.
- Immunohistochemical analysis helps distinguish metaplastic thymoma from type A thymoma.
- This case is the first to report metaplastic thymoma co-occurring with psoriasis.

## Abstract

Metaplastic thymoma is a rare biphasic thymic tumor with indolent behavior and recurrent YAP1::MAML2 gene rearrangement. Although the diagnosis of this tumor is usually straightforward based on hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) findings alone, cases with scant spindle-cell (“pseudosarcomatous stroma“) components can be easily confused with more commonly occurring type A thymoma. We present a case of metaplastic thymoma with a sparse stroma-like spindle-cell component, discussing its histological and immunohistochemical hints and drawing attention to the visual similarity to type A thymoma. This is also the first published case of metaplastic thymoma with associated psoriasis.

## Linked entities

- **Genes:** YAP1 (Yes1 associated transcriptional regulator) [NCBI Gene 10413], MAML2 (mastermind like transcriptional coactivator 2) [NCBI Gene 84441]
- **Diseases:** psoriasis (MONDO:0005083)

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** Metaplastic Thymoma (MESH:D013945), thymic tumor (MESH:D013953), tumor (MESH:D009369), psoriasis (MESH:D011565)
- **Chemicals:** eosin (MESH:D004801), hematoxylin (MESH:D006416), H&amp;E (-)

## Figures

6 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC11165440/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC11165440