[Treatment of invasive thymoma with myasthenia gravis: a case report responsive to azathioprine and methylprednisolone]

Abstract

The treatment of invasive thymomas associated with autoimmune diseases, such as myasthenia gravis (MG) and pure red cell aplasia, has not been established. In this paper, we report a 37-year-old patient with post thymectomy myasthenia gravis, who underwent subtotal resection of invasive thymoma with residual lesions of intrathoracic implants. He was treated with azathioprine (AZP) and methylprednisolone (MP). During two months from the start of this therapy, the clinical symptom was improved apparently and the recurrent tumor was reduced. Lasting 18 months of the treatment, he had to stop it because of the renal failure, but now he has no sign of the recurrence. Further studies with this combined regiments are warranted in the treatment of the invasive thymomas associated with autoimmune disease.