Differentiation between thymic epithelial tumors and thymic lymphomas via multiparameter MRI

王立 张福汉 林冲 朱柳红 王福南

doi:10.16098/j.issn.0529-1356.2026.01.011

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Acta Anatomica Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 57 ›› Issue (1) : 71-76. DOI: 10.16098/j.issn.0529-1356.2026.01.011

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Differentiation between thymic epithelial tumors and thymic lymphomas via multiparameter MRI

WANG Li¹, ZHANG Fu-han², LIN Chong³, ZHU Liu-hong³, WANG Fu-nan^3*

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Abstract

ObjectiveTo conduct a comprehensive investigation and analysis of the magnetic resonance imaging（MRI）characteristics of anterior mediastinal thymic epithelial tumors and lymphomas, and to assess their significance in the differential diagnosis between the two. MethodsFifty patients who were initially diagnosed with anterior mediastinal thymoma or lymphoma and were admitted to Xiamen Hospital affiliated with Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University from January 2018 to April 2023 were selected as the research subjects. Upon admission, all patients underwent MRI examinations. The pathological findings, diagnostic efficacy of MRI examinations, qualitative outcomes of MRI examinations, and the incidence of collagen fiber pattern (CFP) in thymoma and lymphoma were evaluated and analyzed in this group of 50 patients. ResultsPathological examinations of the 50 patients in this group revealed 38 cases of thymoma and 12 cases of lymphoma. The concordance rate between the diagnosis of anterior mediastinal thymoma and lymphoma was 86.00%. The specificity in thymoma diagnosis was 58.33%, and the sensitivity was 94.73%. There were significant differences in the proportions of septa, scars, and enlarged lymph nodes between thymoma and lymphoma. The proportions of septa and scars in thymoma were higher than those in lymphoma, while the proportion of enlarged lymph nodes was lower than that in lymphoma, with statistical significance (P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the comparison of other characteristics such as calcification, cystic necrosis, organ invasion, and pleural effusion (P>0.05). The incidence of CFP in thymoma patients with septa, patchy, and mixed types was higher than that in lymphoma, while the incidence of CFP in patients without septa was lower than that in lymphoma, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). ConclusionThere are significant differences in the incidences of septa, scars, enlarged lymph nodes, and CFP between anterior mediastinal thymoma and lymphoma on MRI, which can offer robust evidence for disease differentiation. MRI exhibits high diagnostic accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity in the differential diagnosis of these two types of lesions.

Key words

Anterior mediastinal thymoma / Lymphoma / Collagen fiber pattern / Magnetic resonance imaging technology / Human

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WANG Li, ZHANG Fu-han, LIN Chong, ZHU Liu-hong, WANG Fu-nan. Differentiation between thymic epithelial tumors and thymic lymphomas via multiparameter MRI[J]. Acta Anatomica Sinica. 2026, 57(1): 71-76 https://doi.org/10.16098/j.issn.0529-1356.2026.01.011

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