Thymic Carcinoid: A Rare Case Presentation

Carcinoid tumors are not a common entity in thorax. The most common sites include the abdominal sites like the Appendix and the Ileum . The carcinoids in the thorax are seen rarely and that to incidentally.in thymus the carcinoids are all together rare. Usually carcinoids tend to be Chromaffin positive histologically and secrete a largr number of chemicals. They belong to the APUD system(Amine Precursor Uptake and decarboxylation system). Thymic carcinoid is a distinct entity which is very rare. It is a slow growing but potentially malignant tumor. We present a rare case of thymic carcinoid in a 16 year old male. Fortunately the disease was confined to Thymus and there was no metastatic spread to other organs. Cytological examination of samples obtained by ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration provided the diagnosis in the patient.