Title of article :
The Effect of Diagnostic Imaging on Surgical Treatment Planning in Diseases of the Thymus
Author/Authors :
Ottlakan, Aurel Faculty of Medicine - Department of Surgery - University of Szeged - Szokefalvi-Nagy Bela Street 6 - Szeged, Hungary , Borda, Bernadett Faculty of Medicine - Department of Surgery - University of Szeged - Szokefalvi-Nagy Bela Street 6 - Szeged, Hungary , Morvay, Zita Faculty of Medicine - Department of Radiology - University of Szeged - Szokefalvi-Nagy Bela Street 6 - Szeged, Hungary , Maraz, Aniko Faculty of Medicine - Department of Oncology - University of Szeged - Szokefalvi-Nagy Bela Street 6 - Szeged, Hungary , Furak, Jozsef Faculty of Medicine - Department of Surgery - University of Szeged - Szokefalvi-Nagy Bela Street 6 - Szeged, Hungary
Abstract :
Accurate imaging of the thymus is essential in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of both neoplastic and nonneoplastic conditions.
Imaging of the thymus is a rather complex task, which affects both initial diagnosis and further surgical treatment planning.
Imaging techniques include a wide armamentary of possibilities, from the most frequently used computed tomography (CT) to
18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography- (18-FDG-PET-) CT and chemical shift magnetic resonance imaging (CSMRI). In cases where surgical treatment is involved diagnostic imaging is of pivotal importance, not only in distinguishing benign
from malignant disease but also in making a way among subtypes of thymic conditions. The article presents a current review of the
advantages and backdrops of different imaging techniques used in the diagnosis of benign and malignant thymic conditions, with
emphasis on differential imaging of thymic hyperplasia (TH), ectopic thymic tissue (ETT), and thymic epithelial tumors (TETs),
with special attention to the importance of MR imaging according to the new TNM classification of thymic epithelial tumors.
Keywords :
Treatment , Thymus , TNM , ETT
Journal title :
Contrast Media and Molecular Imaging
