According to a story from EurekAlert!, a recent study revealed that the surgical removal of the thymus gland, known as a thymectomy, was able to provide long-term benefits for patients with myasthenia gravis for as many as five years following the operation. The operation can be beneficial for patients that show signs of abnormality (such as a thmyus tumor, called a thymoma) and those with a thymus that appears normal.
About Myasthenia Gravis
Myasthenia gravis is a long term autoimmune disease that is most characterized by weakness of the skeletal muscles which can affect a patient’s ability to move and breathe. An an autoimmune disease, myasthenia gravis is ultimately the result of abnormal immune system behavior in which the system attacks normal body tissue. In this disease, the immune system produces antibodies that inhibit regular neuromuscular function. Symptoms of the illness include muscle weakness that worsens after activity and gets better after resting. This weakness may affect the face, eyes, neck, breathing, and limbs. It may cause speech and swallowing difficulties, eyelid drooping, shortness of breath, and blurred vision. In severe cases, patients may require breathing assistance with a ventilator. Treatment options for myasthenia gravis include immunosuppressive medications, thyroid gland removal, IVIG, and plasmapharesis. Most patients can effectively manage the condition with treatment. To learn more about myasthenia gravis, click here.
About The Study
The study looked at data from 68 patients with myasthenia gravis and monitored them for a total of five years following thymectomy surgery. The procedure appeared to offer significant benefits to patients, such as improved overall disease outcomes, less hospitalizations, and reduced need for medication to control the immune system.
Dispelling Reservations About Thymectomy
There has been some reluctance to conduct thymectomy operations for all myasthenia gravis patients in the past because it was not clear if everyone would benefit, but the data from this study appears to suggest that it could be a good option for most patients. There were also some concerns that the benefits of the operation did not last long enough to be worthwhile, but data from this study illustrated that patients continued to see benefit in comparison to medication alone for up to five years.
This study was originally published in The Lancet Neurology. You can find it here.
