Influence of ectopic thymic tissue on clinical outcome following extended thymectomy in generalized seropositive nonthymomatous myasthenia gravis.

Objective: We determined the effect of detecting ectopic thymic tissue in thymectomy specimens on the long-term outcome of patients with myasthenia gravis.

Methods: A total of 83 consecutive patients with generalized seropositive nonthymomatous myasthenia gravis underwent transsternal extended thymectomy (T-3b according to Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America). Ectopic thymic tissue was only accepted when Hassal's corpuscles in the excised cervicomediastinal fat were documented.

Tacrolimus for myasthenia gravis: a clinical study of 212 patients.

Tacrolimus is a macrolide T cell immunomodulator that is used in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients to affect muscle contraction (ryanodine receptor by modulating intracellular calcium-release channels and increasing muscular strength), glucocorticoid receptors (increasing intracellular concentration of steroids and blocking the steroid export mechanism), and an increase in T cell apoptosis. In this study, we report the results of low-dose tacrolimus (0.1 mg/kg/day) treatment in 212 MG patients.

Post-thymectomy combined treatment of prednisone and tacrolimus versus prednisone alone for consolidation of complete stable remission in patients with myasthenia gravis: a non-randomized, non-controlled study.

Background: Thymectomy is a standard treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG). Immunomodulating agents are frequently given during the post-thymectomy latency period until complete remission is fully consolidated.

Objective: A single-centre, non-randomized, non-controlled study was conducted to compare rates of complete stable remission (CSR) to post-thymectomy early treatment with prednisone alone or prednisone combined with tacrolimus, in 80 patients with MG.

Experience with starting tacrolimus postoperatively after transsternal extended thymectomy in patients with myasthenia gravis.

Background: Thymectomy is a standard treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG). Immunomodulating agents are frequently given during the post-thymectomy latency period until complete remission is fully consolidated, but serious side effects is a relevant clinical problem for patients on long-term immunomodulating treatment.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of starting tacrolimus in the immediate postoperative period in MG patients undergoing transsternal extended thymectomy, with complete stable remission (CSR) as the primary outcome of the study.

Benefits of FK506 (tacrolimus) for residual, cyclosporin- and prednisone-resistant myasthenia gravis: one-year follow-up of an open-label study.

Thirteen patients with myasthenia gravis, unresponsive to prednisone and cyclosporin after thymectomy, received KF506 (tacrolimus) for 12 months, at starting doses of 0.1 mg/kg per day b.i.