title: Polymyositis in a patient with thymoma and T cell lymphocytosis.
abstract: A patient presenting with agranulocytosis and lymphocytosis (4600/mm3) was found subsequently to have polymyositis (PM) and a thymoma. Immunophenotyping of the circulating lymphocytes revealed mature T cells (CD3, CD5, CD7 positive) with normal proportions of both CD4 (55%) and CD8 (38%) positive cells. PM was confirmed by electromyogram and muscle biopsy. Fewer than a dozen cases of thymoma and T cell lymphocytosis have been reported and ours is the first in which autoimmune manifestations have been noted. The presence of lymphocytosis in a patient with PM should prompt the search for a thymoma.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology, Ottawa Civic Hospital, Canada.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cranney
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Markman
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lach
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Karsh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008218:Lymphocytosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000150:complications*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D013945:Thymoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis