Radiologic evaluation of the thymus in juvenile myasthenia gravis

Abstract

Clinical records and chest radiographs of nineteen patients with juvenile myasthenia gravis treated by thymectomy were reviewed retrospectively. Correlation of radiographic findings, clinical data, and pathologic observations were sought to determine the value of radiography in the pre-operative assessment of juvenile myasthenia gravis patients. Although the vast majority of patients had normal plain films and tomographic chest radiographs the thymuses in seventeen of the nineteen patients were pathologically abnormal. The pathologic abnormalities consisted of hyperplasia and/or the presence of germinal centers within the glands. Despite these histologic abnormalities, the weights of the surgically removed thymuses were generally in the range of normal for patients of this age. None of the nineteen patients had a thymoma. In our series, there was no apparent benefit from radiographic examination of the thymus gland in consideration of thymectomy for patients with juvenile myasthenia gravis.