[Surgical treatment of myasthenia gravis in patients with thymoma]

During the 18 years period from 1972 to 1990 fifty-two patients with thymoma, including 13 with thymoma and myasthenia gravis (MG), underwent surgical treatment in our hospital. During the same period 27 patients without thymoma underwent surgical intervention for MG. These patients were assessed from the clinical manifestations, clinical effects for MG, and prognosis. The improved effects of surgery for MG with or without thymoma could be yearly obtained after operation. Palliation and remission rates of the 10 patients of MG with thymoma, excluded postthymectomy MG, were very poor in comparison with that of the 27 patients of MG without thymoma. Further more, the prognosis of the 13 patients of thymoma with MG was worse than that of 39 patients of thymoma without MG. The association of thymoma and progressive severity of disease related closely the influence of delayed response to surgical intervention and prognosis. In conclusion, aggressive surgical resection followed by chemo-radiotherapy was the best treatment for the invasive thymoma. Postoperative intensive care for MG crisis and recurrence of thymoma improved the effect to surgical intervention and revealed the good prognosis.