Intrathymic Bronchogenic Cyst

Bronchogenic cysts are the most common mediastinal cysts, usually found in the middle or posterior mediastinum. Anterior mediastinal bronchogenic cysts are uncommon, and intrathymic bronchogenic cysts are extremely rare. We present a case of a 57-year-old male with an incidental finding of an anterior mediastinal nodule. The radiologic appearance of the nodule was suggestive of a lymph node or thymoma. It is often quite difficult to delineate radiologically whether these lesions are benign or malignant. Therefore, the patient underwent a robotic thymectomy to rule out malignancy. Histopathologic assessment of the specimen established the extremely rare diagnosis of an intrathymic bronchogenic cyst. As the guidelines for lung cancer screening have been liberalized, the rate of incidentally discovered thymic lesions will increase. Though a rare diagnosis, bronchogenic cysts should be considered in the differential diagnosis of an anterior mediastinal mass.