Pre-operative computed tomography (CT) of the anterior mediastinum was performed in
eight patients undergoing surgery for cardiac conditions. At operation the anterior
mediastinum was generously biopsied. Histology of the material allowed evaluation of the
proportion of normal residual thymic tissue. Wide variation in CT appearances and in the
degree of thymic involution was found, but there was good correlation between CT findings
and thymic histology. This normal variation is of importance when considering the CT …