FACTORS RELATED TO LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF THYMECTOMY ON MYASTHENIA-GRAVIS

The authors report the results of long-term follow-up after thymectomy on 92 cases with myasthenia gravis (MG), including 22 cases of thymom atous MG. These patients were followed up for 6-73 months with an aver age of 23 months. The surgically effective rate was 88.0% and the late mortality, 6.5%. The sex of the patients and the durations of disease were not obviously related to the prognosis, however the effect of th ymectomy was much better in patients aged 10-39 years than in other ag e groups. The modified Osserman's clinical classification, acetylcholi ne receptor (AchR) antibodies and citric acid extract (CAE) antibodies titers in plasma and pathological patterns of the surgical specimens of thymus including immunohistochemical observation play an important role among various factors related to the long-term effects.