Myasthenia gravis: results of thymectomy in 550 patients
Szobor, A.; Molnár, J.; Klein, M.
Orvosi Hetilap 131(46): 2519
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0030-6002 PMID: 2243702 Document Number: 357491
Report is giving on 550 myasthenic patients who underwent thymectomy during the last 18 years. Results of thymectomy are analysed in separate groups and according to different aspects, including thymic tumours (13.63%), operations in childhood (9.64%), and combined cases (11.1%). The results are evaluated according to Disability Status Scale based on a point-system. Successive improvement was observed in the three series concerning the results of operation. Childhood myasthenia gravis gave the best results but thymectomy was beneficial in the combined group, in long-lasting myasthenia and in tumourous cases, too. There are quite a few factors influencing the results, such as the interval between the disease onset and thymectomy, the patients' age, thymoma, crisis-danger and the activity of the thymus gland reflecting in the number of the germinative centres. The more active the thymus, the better the results.