• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.73-78
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• 1996

From June 1989 to May 1994, 23 patients with myasthenia gravis underwent thymectomy in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Asan Medical Center. For the evaluation of the effect of thymectomy, clinical analysis including age and sex distribution, preoperative disease severity, duration of the symptoms, thymic pathology, and postoperative clinical improvement was performed. The mean follow-up period was 15 mon hs(range : 5∼60mon1hs). The effectiveness of thymectomy according to the postoperative symptoms and drug dose was graded as follow : a) complete remission in 5 cases (21.7%), b) clinical improvement with dose reduction in II cases (47.9%), c) clinical improvement without dose reduction in 3 cases(13.0%), 4) unchanged in 2 cases (8.8%), e) early death in 1 case(4.3%) and f) recurrence in 1 case(4.3%). According to the preoperative disease stage by Modified Osserman classification, 6(66.7%) of the 9 patients in stage I and 13 (92.9%) of 14 patients in stage II were clinically improved after thymectomy. although there was no significant statistical differences between these two groups (p> 0.05). According to the thymic pathology, 4 (100%) of 4 cases with normal thymus were clinically improved. Ten (90.9%) of 11 cases with thymic hyperplasia and 5 (62.5%) of 8 cases with thymoma were clinically improved, but there was no significant statistical differences in these three groups (p> 0.05 . The thymectomy resulted in dramatic clinical improvement in 19 (82.5%) out of 23 patients. According to the preoperative disease stage by Modified Osserman classification or the thymic pathology, there was no significant statistical differeneces in the effect of thyinectomy (p> 0.05).

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.427-432
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• 1996

Eighteen patients operated on for thymoma from 1985 to 1994 were evaluated, 3 with myasthenia gravis and 15 without. Masaoka's clinical staging revealed stage I disease in 5(27.8%), stage ll in 6 (33.3%), stage 111 in 6(33.3%), and stage IV in 1 (5.6%). Of the 18 patients, 10 had surgical resection as the only treatment and the remaining 8 (stage II : 1 patient, stage III : 6 patients, stage IV: 1 patient) had surgical resection with adjuvant preoperative or postoperative radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy There was no operative mortality. Currently, 15 patients are alive, 3 are dead. The mean follow up time for all patients was 3.4 years. Acturlal survival at 5 years was 82.2 $\pm$ 9% for all patients' 100% for those in stage I and II, and 62.5% for those in stage III. Pleural and mediastinal recurrence developed in one patient in stage II which was considered to have noninvasive disease on the operating field. Two patients underwent reoperation for recurrence of thymoma a intervals of 14 months and 52 months. Clinical stage and resectability had a significant prognostic value(p < 0.05). The presence of myasthenia gravis is no longer considered as an adverse factor in survival.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.125-134
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• 1998

Purpose: This study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical usefulness of Tensilon test, repetitive nerve stimulation test(RNST), single fiber EMG(SFEMG) test and acetylcholine receptor antibody(AchR Ab) assay for making diagnosis of myasthenia gravis(MG). Method: These tests were performed in 21 MG patients which were classified into 11 ocular, 5 mild generalized, 4 moderate generalized, and 1 chronic severe MG. Result: The overall positivity of Tensilon test, SFEMG and AchR Ab was 95%, 87%, and 76% respectively. The overall positivity of RNST was 67%; 38% on flexor carpi ulnaris, 43% on adductor digiti quinti and 62% on orbicularis oculi muscles. The positivity of each test was higher in generalized MG group than in ocular MG group. But we could observe the statistically significant difference only in the RNST(p<0.05). Conclusion: Tensilon test showed the highest positivity in all MG groups. So we would like to recommend the, Tensilon test for the diagnosis of MG at first, followed by RNST and AchR Ab assay, and SFEMG would be indicated to MG group which showed relatively low postivity in other tests.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.35-37
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• 2015

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.164-167
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• 1998

Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular disorder that affects striated muscles especially those innervated by the cranial nerves. Most patients present with symptoms relating to the head and neck and thus may be seen first by the otolaryngologist. Recently we had experienced a case of myasthenia gravis with the complaints of hypernasality and voice fatigue in a 49 year old male. In this case, all symptoms were improved markedly with administration of anticholinesterase.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.859-866
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• 1985

The characteristic features of myasthenia gravis, which are weakness of voluntary muscle and easy fatigability, result from defective neuromuscular transmission caused by an autoimmune response to acetylcholine receptor. Recently, we performed two cases of thymectomy for the treatment of myasthenia gravis, one was 50 year old man who had malignant thymoma and the other was 19 year old girl who had benign thymic hyperplasia. The former had long duration of symptoms, and showed poor postoperative result. The latter had short duration of symptoms, and showed complete remission. Herewith, we suggest that early thymectomy can give the clinical assets for myasthenia gravis. So we report these two experiences with review of literatures.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.806-810
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• 1989

There has been arguing in the proper surgical treatment of myasthenia gravis. But the ultimate goal of operation is complete removal of thymic tissues. In view of previous surgical-anatomic studies that there are frequently thymic tissues from the level of thyroid gland to the diaphragm and from hilum to hilum, en bloc resection of thymus, mediastinal fat including both sheets of pleura and pericardium is reasonable. We experienced four myasthenic patients with radical thymectomy from 1989. As compared to the result of previous simple thymectomy group, the 23 patients who were operated from 1976 to 1988[Group I ], excellent surgical outcome was obtained in radical thymectomy group[Group II ].

• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.100-100
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• 2021

• CELLMED
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.78.1-78.5
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• 2024

Objective: Improvement of myasthenia gravis through Ortho-Cellular Nutrition Therapy (OCNT). Methods: A 52-year-old patient with myasthenia gravis was prescribed 21 different OCNT treatments, including Cyaplex. Results: Following the administration of OCNT, symptoms such as eyelid ptosis, masticatory dysfunction, diplopia, and fatigue showed improvement. Conclusion: OCNT can assist in alleviating and mitigating symptoms for patients suffering from thymoma and myasthenia gravis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.734-740
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• 1996

The relative importance of various factors influencing the prognosis and survival in the treatment of thymoma is still controversial. Sixty ave patients operated on for thymoma from Jan. 1981 to Dec. 1994 were evaluated, 28 patients (43.1 %) with myasthenia gravis and 37 patients (56.9%) without. Masaoka staging revealed stage I disease in 28 patie ts(4).1%) , stage ll in 1) patients(20.0%), stage 111 In 22 patients(33.8%), stage IVa in 1 patients(1.5%), and stage IVb in 1 patient(1.5%). There was no operative mortality. A complete resection was performed in 48 patients (73.8%) patients, associated in 10 patients (15.4%) with postoperative adjuvant treatment(radiotherapy 5; chemotherapy 1: radio- and chemotherapy 4). Thymomas were found to be predominantly of the epithelial type in 16 patients(24.6%), predominantly Iymphocytic type in 18 patients(27.7%), and mlxed in 22 patients (33.9%). The overall 5- and 10-year survival rates were 87% and 82%, respectively, Factors indicating a poor prognosis included local invasion, incomplete excision, thymic carcinoma, advanced staging and myasthenia gravis. The de- gree of tumor invasion turned out to be the main prognostic factor, and treatment should be planned ac- cordingly. The prognosis is best predicted by the stage of the tumor as determined intraoperatively and is poorer in patie ts with incomplete resection than in those with complete resection of the thynoma. No recurrence developed In patients with stage I disease.