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Updated: Dec 10, 2025

Examination of Thymic Positive and Negative Selection by Flow Cytometry
Published on: October 8, 2012
Pure red cell aplasia and seronegative myasthenia gravis in association with thymoma
Sun Yong Lee1, Amandeep Gill1, Syung Min Jung1
1Internal Medicine, San Joaquin General Hospital (SJGH), French Camp, CA, USA.
Abstract:
Pure red cell aplasia is an uncommon paraneoplastic syndrome of thymoma. Myasthenia gravis is the most common paraneoplastic syndrome associated with thymoma. We present a case of a 79-year-old Pacific Islander female who presented with profound fatigue, generalized weakness, significant unintentional weight loss, bilateral ptosis, and anemia. The bone marrow biopsy showed near absence of erythroid elements consistent with pure red cell aplasia. Ice-pack test was consistent with myasthenia gravis and computed tomography of the chest demonstrated a thymoma. The patient was started on immunosuppressive treatment with prednisone and cyclosporine. This case demonstrates a rare combination of paraneoplastic manifestations of thymoma: pure red cell aplasia and myasthenia gravis.
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