Differentiating thymoma, thymic carcinoma and lymphoma based on collagen fibre patterns with T2- and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.

• Significant differences are found in intratumoural collagen fibre patterns among thymomas, thymic squamous cell carcinomas, other thymic carcinomas and neuroendocrine tumours and thymic lymphomas. • The septum sign, patchy pattern, mixed pattern and no septum sign are mainly seen in thymomas (86%), thymic squamous cell carcinomas (80.3%), other thymic carcinomas and neuroendocrine tumours (79%) and thymic lymphomas (57%), respectively. • The collagen fibre patterns have high efficacy and reproducibility in differentiating thymomas, thymic squamous cell carcinomas and thymic lymphomas.