title: Thymus pathology observed in the MGTX trial.
abstract: The MGTX trial is the first prospective, randomized clinical trial that aims to evaluate the impact of extended transsternal thymectomy on myasthenic symptoms, prednisone requirements, and quality of life in patients with nonthymomatous, anti-acetylcholine receptor autoantibody-positive myasthenia gravis (MG). Here, we give an overview of the rationale of thymectomy and the standardized macroscopic and histopathological work-up of thymectomy specimens as fixed in MGTX standard operating procedures, including the grading of thymic lymphofollicular hyperplasia and the morphometric strategy to assess thymic involution.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany. alexander.marx@umm.de
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marx
authors.forename: Frederik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pfister
authors.forename: Berthold
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schalke
authors.forename: Wilfred
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nix
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ströbel
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery