title: An occasional diagnosis of myasthenia gravis--a focus on thymus during cardiac surgery: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Myasthenia gravis, an uncommon autoimmune syndrome, is commonly associated with thymus abnormalities. Thymomatous myasthenia gravis is considered to have worst prognosis and thymectomy can reverse symptoms if precociously performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe a case of a patient who underwent mitral valve repair and was found to have an occasional thymomatous mass during the surgery. A total thymectomy was performed concomitantly to the mitral valve repair.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The diagnosis of thymomatous myasthenia gravis was confirmed postoperatively. Following the surgery this patient was strictly monitored and at 1-year follow-up a complete stable remission had been successfully achieved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Milan, Via Parea 4, 20138 Milan, Italy. marco.agrifoglio@unimi.it
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agrifoglio
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barili
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dainese
authors.forename: Antioco
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cappai
authors.forename: Faisal H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Cheema
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Biglioli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery*; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013934:Thymectomy; D013945:Thymoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery