Increased thymocyte CD4+CD8+ cells and T-cell receptor beta gene rearrangements in thymoma.

Epithelial cells in thymoma and thymic carcinoma may influence T-cell development in the tumor. In this study, we investigated the cell surface phenotype and T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement of thymocytes in thymic tumors. TCR rearrangement was observed in all cases of thymoma (A, AB, B1-2).

Lung cancer associated with sarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis is often identified as swollen hilar lymph nodes found in chest radiography during routine physical checkups. We report a patient with concomitant sarcoidosis and lung cancer necessitating thoracoscopic lymph node biopsy to differentiate between sarcoidosis and lung cancer as the cause of mediastinal/hilar lymph node swelling prior to conducting pulmonary lobectomy. Thoracoscopic biopsy of left mediastinal lymph nodes and sampling of frozen sections of right lymph nodes during intraoperative diagnosis did not detect metastasis.