Clinical outcome of video-assisted thymectomy for myasthenia gravis and thymoma.
We reviewed our experience of video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy for myasthenia gravis and thymomas in 119 patients, aged 12-83 years, who were treated between 1998 and 2007. Disease severity was graded using the Osserman classification. To prevent rupture of the tumor capsule and tumor seeding, thymomas were resected using a modified no-touch technique. Thymoma diameters were 10-90 mm (mean, 50 mm). There were no operative deaths, 12 (10%) patients had complications, and 87 (73.1%) improved by 1 or more Osserman grades postoperatively. After follow-up of 1.9-10 years (mean, 4.9 years), 74 (62%) patients remained asymptomatic, with 21% in complete stable remission. Using multivariate regression analysis, there were no statistical differences in median pre- and postoperative Osserman grades with regards to age, sex, duration of symptoms, and presence of thymoma. Video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy for myasthenia gravis and selected thymomas can achieve long-term clinical outcomes comparable to those of standard approaches.
National Cancer Center, 11 Hospital Drive, Singapore. dsoags@nccs.com.sg
Thirugnanam
T
Agasthian
Soon Jia
SJ
Lin
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012846:Singapore; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000009:adverse effects; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult