Does Surgical Removal of the Thymus Have Deleterious Consequences?

Overview

Journal Neurology

Specialty Neurology

Date 2024 May 23

PMID 38781559

Authors

Henry J Kaminski

Linda L Kusner

Gary R Cutter

Rozen Le Panse

Cameron D Wright

Yaron Perry

Gil I Wolfe

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The role of immunosenescence, particularly the natural process of thymic involution during aging, is increasingly acknowledged as a factor contributing to the development of autoimmune diseases and cancer. Recently, a concern has been raised about deleterious consequences of the surgical removal of thymic tissue, including for patients who undergo thymectomy for myasthenia gravis (MG) or resection of a thymoma. This review adopts a multidisciplinary approach to scrutinize the evidence concerning the long-term risks of cancer and autoimmunity postthymectomy. We conclude that for patients with acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive MG and those diagnosed with thymoma, the removal of the thymus offers prominent benefits that well outweigh the potential risks. However, incidental removal of thymic tissue during other thoracic surgeries should be minimized whenever feasible.

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