Myasthenia gravis and thymectomy: a 10-year study in Shiraz

ABSTRACT

A retrospective comparative study was performed on 54 patients treated medically or surgically [thymectomy] for myasthenia gravis [MG] from 1979-1989 in three Shiraz University Hospitals. Each surgical patient was compared with a medical patient on the basis of age, sex, severity and duration of disease. Complete remission was noted in 3 out of 27 thymectomized patients but in none of the medically treated patients. Improvements occurred in 15 of 27 surgical patients and 4 out of 27 medically treated patients during 4 years of follow-up. Patients undergoing thymectomy had a significantly better chance of long survival- Three patients in the medically treated group had died because of myasthenia gravis as compared to 1 in the surgically treated group. Concerning survival in relation to sex, duration of symptoms and age, there was no significant difference between the two groups. Until more effective treatment becomes available for myasthenia gravis, thymectomy deserves consideration for all patients with chronic symptoms