title: [Thymectomy for late-onset myasthenia gravis in the elderly (with report of 23 cases)].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of thymectomy in the treatment of late-onset myasthenia gravis (MG) in the elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three such cases receiving thymectomy were followed up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MG was more frequent in male patients in the elderly, with generalized MG more prevalent that was often complicated by thymoma and myasthenia crisis. The total effective rate of the surgical intervention was 43.5 %.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thymectomy is applicable in late-onset MG in the elderly in spite of the fact that its effect is not as good as that in younger patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-yong
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Wu-jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome