ATS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Author home page(s):
Tommaso Claudio Mineo
Right arrow Permission Requests
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Pompeo, E.
Right arrow Articles by Mineo, T. C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Pompeo, E.
Right arrow Articles by Mineo, T. C.

Ann Thorac Surg 2000;70:918-923
© 2000 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Original articles: general thoracic

Thoracoscopic completion thymectomy in refractory nonthymomatous myasthenia

Eugenio Pompeo, MDa, Italo Nofroni, BSa, Nicola Iavicoli, MDb, Tommaso Claudio Mineo, MDa

a Myasthenia Gravis Unit, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
b Department of Biostatistics, University "La Sapienza," Rome, Italy

Address reprint requests to Dr Pompeo, Cattedra di Chirurgia Toracica, Università Tor Vergata, Ospedale S. Eugenio, P.le dell’Umanesimo 10, 00144 Rome, Italy
e-mail: pompeo{at}med.uniroma2.it

Background. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of thoracoscopic completion thymectomy in patients with refractory nonthymomatous myasthenia.

Methods. Eight patients were operated upon after transcervical (n = 6) or transsternal (n = 2) thymectomy. The mean interval between operations was 129 months. Every patient was completely disabled despite treatment with large dosages of prednisone in combination with pyridostigmine (n = 5) or azathioprine (n = 3) and with repeated plasma exchanges.

Results. Gross (n = 5) or microscopic (n = 3) residual thymic tissue was found in all patients. There was no mortality , but morbidity included 2 patients with postoperative myasthenic crisis requiring reintubation and mechanical ventilation. The mean hospital stay was 4.75 days. The mean follow-up was 28.3 months. At the last follow-up, 6 patients had achieved symptomatic improvement as expressed by significant change in mean Osserman class (3.37 versus 2.12, p = 0.03), and prednisone dosage (43 versus 20 mg/d, p = 0.03). Conversely, there was no difference in dosage of pyridostigmine and azathioprine or in number of exchange cycles.

Conclusions. Our results suggest that thoracoscopic completion thymectomy may be beneficial for selected patients with refractory nonthymomatous myasthenia.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Asian Cardiovasc. Thorac. Ann.Home page
S. Vyas, T Agasthian, M. H. Goh, and S Shankar
Thoracoscopic Thymectomy in a Previous Sternotomy
Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann, December 1, 2006; 14(6): e108 - e110.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ChestHome page
A. Manlulu, T. W. Lee, I. Wan, C. Y. Law, C. Chang, J. C. Garzon, and A. Yim
Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery Thymectomy for Nonthymomatous Myasthenia Gravis
Chest, November 1, 2005; 128(5): 3454 - 3460.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg.Home page
M. Savcenko, G. K. Wendt, S. L. Prince, and M. J. Mack
Video-assisted thymectomy for myasthenia gravis: an update of a single institution experience
Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., December 1, 2002; 22(6): 978 - 983.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
ANN THORAC SURG ASIAN CARDIOVASC THORAC ANN EUR J CARDIOTHORAC SURG
J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG ICVTS ALL CTSNet JOURNALS
Copyright © 2000 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.