Case Reports Cytopathology 2025 Exercise 6: Ectopic Intrathyroidal Thymic Tissue

Authors

Deepshikha Rana, MD

Fellow

Cecilia Gimenez, MD

Associate Professor

Kasturi Das, MD

Professor

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Donald and Barbara Zuckerberg School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

Greenvale, New York

Primary Audience: Pathologists and Clinical Scientists
Secondary Audience: Residents, Laboratory Technologist/Scientist (Includes all sub-specialty areas), Students, Pathologist Assistants,  Laboratory Directors and Educators

Upon completion of this activity, you will be able to:

•  summarize the differential diagnosis of neck masses in children;
•  explain the pathogenesis of incomplete thymic descent in the midline neck;
•  identify the characteristic cytomorphologic features of ectopic thymic tissue on cytology preparations;
• understand the role of flow cytometry in confirming ectopic thymic tissue; and
• discuss the management of ectopic thymic tissue in children.