TUMORS OF THE THYMUS IN CHILDREN

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Abstract
DESPITE the frequency of hyperplasia of the thymus in early life, tumors of this organ are rare during the first decade. Less than 50 authentic cases have been reported in the last century. During the past year, 2 children with thymic tumors have been studied in the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. The first of these growths was malignant and caused death in an 8 year old white girl, and the second was of the benign type and occurred in a 10 year old white boy, who is still living. These 2 tumors are described in this report. The first thymic tumor found referred to in the literature was a lymphosarcoma in a 19 year old woman described by Cooper in 1832.1 However, the first case arising in childhood was a lymphosarcoma in a child of 8 years recorded by Grutzner in 1869.2 In 1873 Gamgee3 likewise described