title: Early autoimmune complications after thymomectomy in a patient with interstitial lung disease. Case report.
abstract: Thymoma has been associated with a variety of autoimmune disorders. We report a case of myasthenia gravis and pancytopenia in a 53-year-old man with lymphoepithelial thymoma and interstitial lung disease. Preoperative examination revealed neither hematologic abnormality nor myasthenia gravis. The patient had enteritis prior to thymomectomy, sternal infection in the first month of operation, and urinary infection at the third month. About three months after thymomectomy, he required mechanical ventilation support due to myasthenia gravis-related respiratory failure. One month later, a rapidly progressing pancytopenia developed. The patient died within two weeks of overwhelming septicemia unresponsive to treatment with antibiotics and steroids. The possible onset of myasthenia gravis or pancytopenia after thymomectomy should be kept in mind during follow-up. Recurrent infections in the early stages of thymomectomy may suggest a lethal onset of pancytopenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Diseases, Cumhuriyet University Medical School, 58140, Sivas, Turkey. gonlugur@e-kolay.net
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gonlugur
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yildiz
authors.forename: Tanseli E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Gonlugur
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000209:etiology*; D010198:Pancytopenia / Q000209:etiology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012008:Recurrence; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D013249:Sternum / Q000473:pathology; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013934:Thymectomy; D013945:Thymoma / Q000601:surgery*; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013256:Steroids