Detection of thymoma in myasthenia gravis.
Twenty patients with myasthenia gravis had chest radiography, conventional tomography, and computed tomography (CT) of the thorax within 1 month of thymectomy. Four of the six macroscopic tumors were detected on routine chest radiography; conventional tomography provided no additional information. CT detected all six macroscopic tumors and provided additional information that was not available by other procedures. However, 18 patients (90%) had anterior mediastinum densities on CT, which could not be distinguished preoperatively from thymic tumors. All six patients with macroscopic tumors had serum antistriational muscle antibody titers; this test was negative in 10 of 11 patients (91%) without thymoma. Chest radiography, CT of the thorax, and antistriational antibodies are the tests recommended for detection of a thymoma in patients with myasthenia gravis.
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000276:immunology; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000276:immunology; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology; D013934:Thymectomy; D013945:Thymoma / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000276:immunology; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000276:immunology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D001323:Autoantibodies; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D000109:Acetylcholine