SURGICAL-TREATMENT IN MYASTHENIA-GRAVIS A ND THYMOMA

Between 1986 and 1992 eighteen patients underwent transsternal radical thymectomy at the Department of Surgery of the RWTH Aachen. Operation was indicated for myasthenia gravis (n = 14) or suspect of thymoma (n = 4). Patients with myasthenia were preoperatively classified accordi ng to Osserman and postoperatively with respect to their clinical stat us and drug dosages. Patients with thymoma were classified according t o Masaoka. After a mean follow-up period of 43.6 months 76.9 % of the patients with myasthenia demonstrated a significant improvement. All p atients with thymoma were free of recurrence.