• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.61-66
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• 1997

Between January 1986 and December 1995, 24 patients were treated surgically for thymoma. There were 17 males and 7 females, and their ages ranged from 23 to 69 years old and mean age was 49 years. Thymomas ere associated with fourteen myasthenia gravid, and classified histologically as Iymphocytic in 12 patients, mixed in 8, epithelial in 4, and classified clinically as stage I in 11, stage II in 4, stage III in 8 and stage VI in 1 patient. Eleven patients with non-invasive thymoma had received surgical resection, and 10 out of 13 patients with invasive thymoma were able to undergo complete resection. A partial resection or tissue biopsy followed by radiation or chemotherapy was done with the remaining three patients. Three died, four had improvement of symptom, two had relapse and fifteen had no symptom during follow up ranged from 25 days to 60 months. In fourteen cases of thymoma with myasthenia gravid, one died due to myasthenic crisis, two showed symptom aggravation, six had less medical treatment and five patients had medical treatment as same as dosage received preoperatively.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.244-253
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• 2022

Objective: This study reports on the management of a patient with myasthenia gravis (MG) following myasthenic crisis (MC) using Korean medicine. Methods: A 77-year-old Class V MG patient was treated with acupuncture, moxibustion, and Korean herbal medicine. A manual muscle test was used to derive a Medical Research Council (MRC) score and the patient's subjective view of his dyspnea was measured to assess MG symptoms. Results: The MRC grade indicated significant deterioration after 65 days of treatment, although there was no change in the patient's subjective dyspnea assessment. But no other MG or MC complications occurred. Conclusion: This study suggests that Korean medicine could be used for the management of Class V MG patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.301-305
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• 1980

Myasthenia gravis is a disorder that affects neuromuscular transmission in a way that is still poorly understood. some think that myasthenia gravis results from a reduction of available acetylcholine receptors in neuromuscular junctions, consequent to some form of autoimmune injury. Surgical interest in this disease was first aroused in 1939 when Blalock observed that some patients with thymic tumors and myasthenia gravis improved following thymectomy. This report represents two cases of myasthenia gravis. The 14-year-old girl was admitted to Korea Universtiy Hospital with chief complaintment of bilateral ptosis, diplopia, swallowing difficulty, and mastication difficulty, which were relieved by administration of edrophonium (Tensilon) chloride, given intravenously. Myasthenica gravis was confirmed and thymectomy was given. After thymectomy, symptoms were relieved but the administration of neostigmine was contijued to be needed till following 3 months. After that period, she was free from this symptoms without anticholinesterase drugs. Second case is 57 year old male who has the symptoms of diplopia, bilatreal ptosis, walking disturbance, and speech difficulty. He had thymectomy too but in thymic tissue, malignant thymoma was included. He has subjective improvement only, with no major reduction of medication requirements after thymectomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.490-494
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• 1980

Myasthenia gravis is a neuromuscular disorder manifested by fatigability and weakness of voluntary muscles. The basic defect in the myasthenia is reduction of available acetylcholine receptors at neuromuscuiar junctions by an autoimmune attack. Removal of the thymus gland now play an Important role in the management of this disease. We have two experiences of thymectomy for myasthenic patients. The 31-year-old housewife(J.H) was admitted to the Taegu Presbyterian Medical Center because of bilateral ptosis, mastication and swallowing difficulties. The presence of thymoma was strongly suggested by roentgenographic studies. A 99.8 gm thymoma was removed completely by total thymectomy. On the 2nd postoperative day respiratory failure developed. Tracheostomy was performed and ventilatory assist was given for 3 days. The patient was completely recovered with antichollestrase drug only. C.N. was 17-year-old girl who has the symptoms of bilateral ptosis and diplopia for 3 years. Tensilon test was positive and antichollnestrase was given for several months, but the patient showed no improvement. After thymectomy she was free from myasthenic symptoms with out anticholinestrase drug.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.43-47
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• 2004

We report a case of 36-year-old woman with myasthenia gravis (MG) combined with mediastinal leiomyosarcoma (LMS) and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS). She was admitted to ICU with the symptoms of acute onset headache, diplopia, ptosis, dysphagia, general weakness, and respiratory difficulty for several days. Physical examination revealed tachypnea, decreased breath sounds and dullness to percussion in right lower chest. Neurologic examination showed ptosis, diplopia, decreased gag reflexes, and generalized proximal weakness. Laboratory studies revealed increased serum acetylcholine receptor antibodies and positive Tensilon test. Chest CT showed a huge mass in the right middle mediastium but no evidence of thymic enlargement. Mediastinal LMS was diagnosed by ultrasound-guided needle biopsy. The myasthenic symptoms were fluctuated in spite og intravenous immunoglobulin, plasmapheresis, and corticosteroid. During therapy, SJS developed. She died 4 months after the onset of the myasthenic symptoms despite the chemotherapy for LMS.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1125-1132
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• 1991

Myasthenia gravis is a disorder of neuromuscular transmission which is characterized fatigue and weakness of the voluntary muscle. From 1985. 1 to 1991.6, 34 patients underwent managed including 12 patient thymectomy, at the kyunghee medical center. A clinical analysis was performed and following result was obtained. Among the 34 patients, male to female ratio was 11 : 23 and the age was ranged from 2 years to 63 years. Thymectomy was done in 12 case and 1 case of malignant thymoma was not resectable. There were 2 deaths after operation due to respiratory failure and 1 death dur to gradually progression. THe effect of thymectomy in mtasthenia graves was 66.7% (8cases). The prognostic factors were severity of the disease and histopathological findings. Others were not related to the prognosis of the mayasthenia gravis. The severity of the myasthenia gravis was classified by Osserman modified classification.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.152-157
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• 1990

A clinical study for thymectomy for 23 patients in Myasthenia Gravis was done between May, 1982 and July, 1989. at the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, College of Medicine, Han Yang University. Among Z3 patients, male to female ratio was 11: 12 and Age of onset was ranged from 15 years-old to 52 years-old. Previous symptom duration from diagnosis until operation was ranged from 2 months to 96 months, and Mean duration was 28.74 months. The severity of disease was classified by Osserman`s classification preoperatively. In histopathology of thymus, Thymic hyperplasia 7 cases, Thymoma 7 cases, Invasive thymoma 3 cases, Within Normal Limit 5 cases, and Thymic Atrophy 1 case. Correlation between preoperative symptom duration and postoperative clinical course was statistically significant. The shorter of preoperative symptom duration, The better of postoperative clinical course. Grading of postoperative course was classified by Papatestas in 1975. Follow-up for postoperative course was ranged from 3 months to 7 year and 4 months, Cases of complete remission 1 year postoperative period were 9 cases and cases of Improvement were 8 cases, So totally 17 cases among 23 cases[73.91%] found good results.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.292-298
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• 1984

Myasthenia 8ravis is a disorder of neuromuscular function due to a reduction of available acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction. Typically, the muscle weakness is worse after effort and improved by rest. In 1939, Blalock and associated reported a case of patient with myasthenia gravis who was successfully treated by thymectomy. Since then, operation has become increasingly important in the management of this disease. From 1968 to 1983, 10 cases of myasthenia gravis were operated at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery,College of Medicine, Seoul National University. 1.Among 10 cases, 4 were male and 6 were female. 2.Thymectomy was performed in 9 cases, and 1 case of malignant thymoma with deeply infiltration to adjacent structure was not resectable. 3.There was 1 operative mortality with respiratory failure. 4.During follow-up period, most of them showed symptomatic improvement, but complete remission was not noticed in any case.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1035-1040
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• 1992

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease in which the thymus gland is thought to play a central role in the pathogenesis. Thymectomy is now standard therapy, and improvements in surgical techniques, anesthesia, and respiratory care and the use of plasmapheresis have markedly reduced the operative morbidity. We experienced 7 myasthenia gravis with maximal thymectomy from November 1989. As compared with the results of previous classic transsternal thymectomy group the 25 patients who were operated from June 1979 to December 1991[Group B], excellent surgical result was obtained in maximal thymectomy group[Group A]. During follow-up period that ranged from a month to 10.7 years[mean 2 years], the remission rate for the entire group was 15.6 percent and an additional 71.9 percent had improvement[87.5 percent benefited]. In Group A, the remission rate was 42.9 percent with 100 percent of the patients benefiting from operations. But in Group B, 8 percent had remission and a total of 80 percent benefited. In both Groups, there was no operative mortality but there was one case`s mortality in Group B during follow-up period.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.761-767
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• 2001

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder mainly caused by antibodies to the muscle acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction Loss of these receptors leads to a defect in neuromuscular transmission with muscle weakness and fatigue. In this study, to understand of myasthenia gravis, were viewed about anatomical and physiological view of neuromuscular junction.