title: [Splenectomy in the treatment of severe forms of myasthenia gravis].
abstract: The authors describe the results of clinical and electromyography examinations of 20 patients with grave generalized myasthenia, carried out within the short-term (up to 2 weeks) and long-term period (up to 1 year) after splenectomy. In these patients, the preceding therapy (thymectomy, gamma-therapy of the thymic area, the treatment with prednisolone, azathioprine, plasmapheresis, etc) had not produced any beneficial effect. The efficacy of splenectomy was assessed according to the Keens classification (A-E). In the short-term period after splenectomy the C effect was recorded in 13 out of the 20 patients. Out of 9 patients examined in the long-term period, the B effect was revealed in 3 patients, the C effect persisted in 3 patients, and 3 patients manifested the return to the initial status, namely to the E effect. Therefore in the group of patients with grave generalized myasthenia, the efficacy of splenectomy amounted to 65%. In view of this fact the inclusion of the given treatment method into the multimodality treatment of myasthenic patients is regarded advisable.
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Gekht
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Kuzin
authors.forename: O S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Shkrob
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Vetshev
authors.forename: I Kh
authors.initials: IKh
authors.lastname: Ippolitov
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Sanadze
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Shagal
authors.forename: Z Sh
authors.initials: ZSh
authors.lastname: KHodzhaev
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000294:innervation; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000503:physiopathology; D013156:Splenectomy; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
vernacular_title: Splenéktomiia v lechenii tiazhelykh form miastenii.