[Long term effect of thymectomy for patients with myasthenia gravis].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the long term effect of thymectomy for patients with myasthenia gravis.


METHODS
Patients with myasthenia gravis 4 - 54 months after thymectomy were followed up.


RESULTS
124 patients with myasthenia gravis were treated by thymectomy from April 1990 to August 1994. The mean age at the time of surgery was 29.2. According to the modified Osserman classification. 29 patients were type I, 23 type II a, 41 type II b and 11 type III. After thymectomy 82.7% patients had good response to the operation. 13.5% had no response and 1.9% were even worse. Of 104 patients followed up, no early death was found and late death occurred in 2. Type II patients and those with shorter preoperative course responded better.


CONCLUSIONS
The surgical outcome is related to clinical classification of myasthenia gravis and the duration of preoperative period. Sex and pathologic type of thymus lesion seem to be irrelevant factors to the surgical outcome. To perform thymectomy or not should be very carefully weighed for patients younger than 10 years of age.
Yao
Y
Y
Department of Chest Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai 200040.
Chen
Z
Z
Pang
L
L
Mao
L
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000601:surgery*; D013934:Thymectomy; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome