For citation:
Ippolitov I.L., Harnas С.С., Ippolitov L.I., Metalnikov A.V. Surgical treatment of patients with generalized form of myasthenia gravis with non-tumor lesion of the thymus. Golova i sheya. Rossijskij zhurnal = Head and neck. Russian Journal. 2019;7(4):66–70 (in Russian).

Generalized myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease, the basis of which is a violation of neuromuscular conduction in different muscle groups. Before the appearance of anticholinesterase, immunosuppressive therapies and surgical treatment in the clinical practice, most patients died in the first 2-3 years from the primary diagnosis due to the development of respiratory disorders. Recent studies have convincingly shown that thimectomy, especially at an early stage, leads either to remission of the disease or to minimization of myasthenic disorders. By modern standards, the term “surgical treatment of myasthenia gravis” refers only to complete removal of the thymus gland with additional excision of the surrounding connective tissue. Currently, incomplete median sternotomy which, if necessary, can be expanded to complete, is considered the most adequate of direct access methods. However, new technologies and the concept of mini-aggressiveness have changed the views of surgeons on the technique of thimectomy in the direction of video and robot-assisted operations.

Key words: myasthenia gravis, thymoma, thimectomy, videoassisted thimectomy, transsternal access

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Source of financing: not specified.

For citation: Ippolitov I.L., Harnas С.С., Ippolitov L.I., Metalnikov A.V. Surgical treatment of patients with generalized form of myasthenia gravis with non-tumor lesion of the thymus. Golova i sheya. Rossijskij zhurnal = Head and neck. Russian Journal. 2019;7(4):66–70 (in Russian).

The authors are responsible for the originality of the data presented and the possibility of pub-lishing illustrative material – tables, figures, photographs of patients.

Download PDF