Myasthenia gravis developing after discovery of thymoma.
We report 4 cases of myasthenia gravis in which myasthenic symptoms developed after a thymoma was known to be present. They include 3 invasive thymomas and one thymoma. In 3 of them, myasthenic symptoms developed 2-7 months after removal of the thymoma; in 1 case, myasthenic symptoms developed 11 years after the thymoma was known to be present. We also discuss here the possible pathogenetic mechanism of post-thymomectomic myasthenia gravis, and propose that it is due to the natural course of the disease.
Wakata
N
N
Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Toho University, Tokyo, Japan.
Fukuya
H
H
Niizuma
M
M
Ishida
T
T
Kinoshita
M
M
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D013934:Thymectomy; D013945:Thymoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery