[Unsure81]

Hi everyone - just a quick question....I just wondered if any of you know of, or have experience of, pain with Thymoma??

I have been told I have Costochondritis (inflammation of the chest wall) which is causing me a very tender pain in the sternum area/between my breasts - which started around the time that my symptoms flared up again 7 months ago and also does strangely seem to fluctuate with my good and bad weeks?? When I researched I was interested to see that there does seem to be some loose link between Costochondritis and Thymoma....and as I am waiting for nerve/muscle tests to see if I really do have MG it seemed very coincidental. I will say that I had a chest x-ray in March (and on a painful day for my chest!) which was clear so I am reassured by that but I was just interested to hear you thoughts and experiences??

Many thanks
Eve.x

[JimInMI]

No pain here with thymoma. At least not until after the surgery! I'm doing well now and have had follow up CT scans with negative results.

[gr8ful]

Unsure, From what I've read the discomfort caused by a thymoma would be due to pressure from a large tumor pressing against heart/lungs etc. If you had a large tumor they would have seen that. Thymomas are rare and can go undetected until they are quite large. That can cause them to be undiagnosed until a late stage malignancy has been reached. It doesn't seem like pain in the front of your chest would be due to a thymoma, especially since you had an xray. Good luck with your diagnosis.

[pkramoski@q.com]

Originally Posted by gr8ful

Unsure, From what I've read the discomfort caused by a thymoma would be due to pressure from a large tumor pressing against heart/lungs etc. If you had a large tumor they would have seen that. Thymomas are rare and can go undetected until they are quite large. That can cause them to be undiagnosed until a late stage malignancy has been reached. It doesn't seem like pain in the front of your chest would be due to a thymoma, especially since you had an xray. Good luck with your diagnosis.

How long can a thymoma go undetected?

[JimInMI]

Welcome to the site. Looks as if I responded a year ago, so I'll reply again. Check out http://www.medicinenet.com/script/ma...iclekey=157905. It doesn't answer your question about how long, but there's useful information. Mine was found by a doctor who had the good sense to order a CT scan. I was followed up with additional CT scans and a PET scan.

Do you suspect a thymoma?

Jim

[Kitt]

Welcome pkramoski.