Case Presentation
An 18-year-old male, who had a previous hospitalization at the age of 5
due to meningitis and no other medical history, was admitted to the
hospital after being involved in a car accident. The patient had no
history of positive family background or drug use. The patient’s vital
signs remained stable, and there were no complaints of dyspnea. Oxygen
saturation was 98%. The patient mentioned chest pain that occurred
after the trauma.
The physical examination revealed limited chest movement, decreased
tactile vocal fremitus on the right side, and dullness upon percussion
over the right area.
A decrease in breath sounds on the right side was detected during chest
auscultation. A chest CT scan was performed on the patient. The CT scout
view findings demonstrated the presence of an opacity in the right lower
hemithorax, resulting in a shifting of the heart towards the left side
(Figure 1)
The CT scan revealed the presence of a predominantly fat-containing mass
with soft tissue components, measuring approximately 13x23x15 cm. This
mass appeared to originate from the anterior mediastinum and extended
into the right hemithorax, causing a shift of the heart and mediastinum
to the left. The lesion did not reach below the diaphragm. The lower
lobe of right lung exhibited almost complete collapse. (Figure 2)
The patient was planned for surgery. Through a right thoracotomy, the
mass was entirely excised. (Figure 3)
The histopathological examination revealed the presence of an
encapsulated lesion comprising mature adipose tissue that contained
islands of non-neoplastic thymic epithelial cells (Figure 4). The final
diagnosis was thymolipoma.
The patient experienced no postoperative complications and was
discharged in excellent condition on the 11th day following the surgery.