Thymectomy in myasthenia gravis: when, why, and how?

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease mediated by antibodies against proteins expressed in the neuromuscular junction; the main antigen is the acetylcholine receptor. In patients with myasthenia gravis, the thymus can have histological abnormalities, such as follicular hyperplasia or thymoma. Although thymectomy is standard treatment for patients with myasthenia gravis who have thymoma, whether the procedure is of any clinical benefit in...