From 1971 to 1993, 52 myasthenics without thymomas ( 7 men and 45 women) were thymectomized.The results were categorized in remissions and non-remissions. The remission rate was 48%. In the remission group there were 5 men and 20 women and in the non-remission group 2 men and 25 women.The follow-up time was 5.5 years in both groups. There were 16 patients in Osserman category II A , 11 achieving remission; 36 patients were in categories IIB and III, and 14 achieved remission. The duration of disease was 1.8 years and 4.3 years in the remission and non-remission groups, respectively. All patients with remission had less than four years of disease but among the 43 patients with less than four years of symptoms, 42% did not achieve remission. Our data reinforce the need for early thymectomy in myasthenia gravis.
myasthenia gravis; thymectomy