Surgical treatment in myasthenia gravis. A 27 year experience.

Abstract

Fifty-seven patients with myasthenia gravis have had thymectomies over a 27 year period. Of the 50 patients surviving operation, 42 have shown definite improvement, with 18 having complete remissions to this time. Thirty-four out of 37 patients without thymomas have shown sustained improvement since operation. Almost all of the patients with improvement had follicular hyperplasia of the thymus gland. At least 85 per cent of properly selected patients with myasthenia gravis should obtain improvement following thymectomy, with minimal operative morbidity and mortality.