# Extended-sleeve resection for endoluminal recurrence of B3 thymoma: does aerogenous spread really exist?

## TL;DR

This paper discusses a rare case of a B3 thymoma recurrence in the bronchus and the use of an extended-sleeve lobectomy as a treatment.

## Contribution

The novelty lies in the radical resection approach for endoluminal recurrence of B3 thymoma.

## Key findings

- Endobronchial recurrence of B3 thymoma can be treated with radical resection using extended-sleeve lobectomy.
- The case highlights the rare presentation and management of thymoma recurrence.
- Surgical resection remains a viable option for managing localized recurrence.

## Abstract

Thymomas are a variant of thymic epithelial tumours. They are considered malignant due to their tendency to local invasion and they showed lower metastatic behaviour. Distal metastasis is rare and an endobronchial mass is a rare presentation. First-line treatment for early-stage thymomas is surgery; for Masaoka–Koga stage III, neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemoradiation therapy should be considered in association with surgery after Multidisciplinary Tumour Board evaluation. We report a rare case of radical resection with type A extended-sleeve lobectomy in a 63-year-old woman who was affected by endobronchial recurrence of B3 thymoma, 31 months after complete and radical thymectomy.

Thymomas are malignant tumours with a tendency to local invasion.