Cervical Extension of the Normal Thymus in Children and Adolescents: Sonographic Features and Prevalence.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to confirm the prevalence of incidental cervical extension of normal thymus in children and adolescents undergoing neck ultrasound and describe the ultrasound appearance to minimize future misdiagnosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study was conducted in a single institution. Thyroid and lower neck ultrasound images of the consecutive pediatric subjects between January 1, 2011 and September 30, 2017 were independently reviewed by 2 radiologists for the presence of cervical thymus. When identified on sonographic images, cervical thymus was described on the basis of echogenicity, location, and shape.

RESULTS

In 278 consecutive cases, the 2 reviewers identified 105 (37.8%) and 103 (37.1%) cases respectively as having sonographically visible tissue in the expected location of cervical extension of the thymus. The internal echotexture was variable with 38.1% of cases being hypoechoic, 37.1% mixed, and 24.8% hyperechoic. Cervical extension of the thymus was most commonly (65.0%) to the left of the trachea or (30.9%) bilateral/anterior to the trachea; isolated right paratracheal thymus was uncommon. Thymic shape was variable: quadrilateral (30.9%), oval (29.9%), triangular (25.8%), and other (13.4%). The logistic regression model including age, gender, and BMI z-scores showed that, when controlled for sex and BMI z-scores, younger age was a predictor for the presence of cervical thymic extension (p < .001).

CONCLUSION

Cervical thymic extension is sonographically visible as a soft tissue mass of variable appearance in about a third of children and adolescents undergoing neck ultrasonography with decreasing prevalence with age. Sonographically visible cervical thymic tissue is more common in younger patients.