title: T cell lymphocytosis associated with polymyositis, myasthenia gravis and thymoma.
abstract: Peripheral T cell lymphocytosis is a rare finding in association with malignant thymomas. In the majority of previous cases, the tumours have behaved aggressively with symptoms arising from local invasion. We describe a patient with ocular myasthenia gravis who presented with a rapidly progressive polymyositis and neuropathy and who was subsequently found to have a thymic mass and a mild T cell lymphocytosis. The thymoma did not give rise to local symptoms and showed no evidence of progression over a 14-month period of follow-up. The possibility of an underlying thymic tumour should be considered in any patient with chronic T cell lymphocytosis if the circulating cells show mature morphology and there is no molecular evidence of monoclonality.
authors: Department of Haematology, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol, UK.
authors: S H
authors: SH
authors: Otton
authors: G R
authors: GR
authors: Standen
authors: I E
authors: IE
authors: Ormerod
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008218:Lymphocytosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000473:pathology*; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000473:pathology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000473:pathology*; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*