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Case Reports
. 2018 Nov 13;10(11):e3581.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.3581.

Thymoma-associated Myasthenia Gravis in a Young Adult with Development of Paraneoplastic Limbic Encephalitis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Post-thymectomy: A Case Report

Robin Liu  1 , A Rashid Dar  2 , Keng Yeow Tay  3 , Mike W Nicolle  4 , Richard I Inculet  5
Affiliations
Case Reports

Thymoma-associated Myasthenia Gravis in a Young Adult with Development of Paraneoplastic Limbic Encephalitis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Post-thymectomy: A Case Report

Robin Liu et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

We report a young adult with thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis (MG) who, following thymectomy, developed paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (LE) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Although thymomas commonly co-occur with MG, LE is an uncommon autoimmune sequela. Herein, we discuss the pathophysiology of paraneoplastic LE and its management. Our report also highlights an unusual case of a thymoma patient who presented with multiple autoimmune disorders. The treatment of such a patient is therefore challenging and requires care from multiple specialized teams.

Keywords: autoimmune; limbic encephalitis; myasthenia gravis; paraneoplastic; thymectomy; thymoma; young adult.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Right anterior mediastinal mass that extends along the pericardium from the level of the aortic arch to the right ventricle
Figure 2
Figure 2. T2 hyperintensity in the anteromedial left temporal pole most prominently
There is evidence of a mass effect with thickening of the cortex and effacement of the adjacent sulci
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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