Thymectomy for Myasthenia Gravis
Authors: KERMIT E. OSSERMAN
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1968)

Editorial Notes1 August 1968Thymectomy for Myasthenia GravisKERMIT E. OSSERMAN, M.D., F.A.C.P.KERMIT E. OSSERMAN, M.D., F.A.C.P.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-69-2-398 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptThe report from Blalock, Mason, Morgan, and Rivin in 1939 (1) of thymectomy for patients with myasthenia gravis and thymoma created hope that this was the therapeutic answer for this disease. During the 1940's and '50's, controversy arose because of differing evaluations of the results from this procedure. Keynes (2) showed a difference in response between patients with hyperplasia and those with thymoma who did poorly; he advocated that the two groups be assessed separately. Schwab and Leland (3) and Eaton and Clagett (4) confirmed Keynes' observation but also snowed that only young women with the disease for less than...References1. BLALOCKMASONMORGANRIVEN AMDHJSS: Myasthenia gravis and tumors of the thymic region. Ann. Surg. 110: 544, 1939. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. KEYNES G: Hunterian lecture. Brit. J. Surg. 33: 201, 1946. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. SCHWABLELAND RSC: Sex and age in myasthenia gravis as critical factors in incidence and remission. JAMA 153: 1270, 1953. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. EATONCLAGETT LMOT: Present status of thymectomy in treatment of myasthenia gravis. Amer. J. Med. 19: 703, 1955. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. PERLOSCHWABVIETSPOSKANZEROSSERMANGENKINS VPRSHRDAKEG: Myasthenia gravis: evaluation of treatment in 1,355 patients. Neurology (Minneap.) 16: 431, 1966. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. NASTUKPLESCIAOSSERMAN WLOJKE: changes in serum complement activity in patients with myasthenia gravis. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 105: 177, 1960. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. SIMPSON JA: Myasthenia gravis: a new hypothesis. Scot. Med. J. 5: 419, 1960. CrossrefGoogle Scholar8. STRAUSSSEEGALHSUBURKHOLDERNASTUKOSSERMAN AJBCKCPMWLKE: Immunofluorescence demonstration of a muscle binding, complement-fixing serum globulin fraction in myasthenia gravis. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 105: 184, 1960. CrossrefGoogle Scholar9. MACKAYWHITTINGHAMGOLDSTEINCURRIEHARE IRSGTTWS: Myasthenia gravis: clinical, serological and histological studies in relation to thymectomy. Aust. Ann. Med. 17: 1, 1968. MedlineGoogle Scholar10. WEINEROSSERMAN LBKE: Correlation of presence of immunofluorescence in serums with clinical findings in myasthenia gravis. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 135: 680, 1966. CrossrefGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Department of Medicine Mount Sinai School of Medicine The City University of New York New York, N. Y. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byNervensystemNervensystem 1 August 1968Volume 69, Issue 2Page: 398-399KeywordsMyasthenia gravisPatient advocacyThymectomyThymoma Issue Published: 1 August 1968 PDF downloadLoading ...