[Thymothymectomy for the thymoma with pure red cell aplasia; report of a case]

We report a case of thymothymectomy for the thymoma with pure red cell aplasia (PRCA). A 31-year-old male with a general fatigue had a severe anemia (hemoglobin 3.1 g/dl) since November 1997. By the bone marrow examination, PRCA was diagnosed and treated with blood transfusion and immunosuppressive drug (cyclosporin: CYA) administration but anemia had not been improved. The chest computed tomography displayed a 3 cm in a diameter of thymoma located in the anterior mediastinum. The extended thymothymectomy had been performed in February 1998, pathological detection disclosed Masaoka classification stage I, type AB was diagnosed due to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification. PRCA had not obtained an immediate remission during the postoperative-early term, while, adjuvant therapy (CYA 300 mg/day) has been continued and it brought a complete remission of PRCA in August 2001 (after the postoperative 3 years and 6 months later).

Even though only thymothymectomy for thymoma with PRCA showed no effectiveness for the postoperative-early remission of PRCA, however, the combination of thymectomy and the postoperative adjuvant therapy (CYA) should bring a better outcome, and the continuous follow-up would be required for a long postoperative term.