Efficacy of Surgical Treatment for Thymoma-Related Stiff Person Syndrome

Stiff person syndrome (SPS) is a neurologic disorder, some cases of which are associated with malignant disease. Here, we report a case of thymoma-associated SPS that was successfully treated with surgical resection. A 57-year-old man with progressive muscle stiffness and weakness was diagnosed with thymoma-related SPS. After administration of medication and intravenous immunoglobulin, the patient underwent extended thymectomy, partial pericardial resection, and pericardial reconstruction. After tumor resection, the symptoms gradually diminished, and performance status and respiratory function improved significantly. This report indicates that tumor resection may improve respiratory function, eliminate dyspnea, and improve performance status in tumor-related SPS.