Congenital Cysts of the Thymus Gland

CYSTIC lesions of the thymus gland may be located in the neck or mediastinum and are classified as congenital, inflammatory, or neoplastic in origin.¹ A careful review of the literature reveals only 48 cases of congenital thymic cysts reported through 1964. Of these, 32 were situated within the anterior mediastinum. The remainder were located in the neck or were combined cervicalmediastinal cysts. Although no age group was exempt, one half of these cases were discovered in the first two decades of life. The oldest case in the literature through 1964 was a 59-year-old woman reported by Podolsky et al.²

It is the purpose of this communication to report the clinical and pathological features of seven cases of congenital thymic cysts treated by the Surgical Service of the University of Minnesota Medical Center between 1950 and 1965. The case history of one patient is recorded in detail to illustrate