Therapeutic apheresis in the Republic of Macedonia - our five years experience (2000-2004).

Membrane plasma exchange (PE) is a mode of extracorporeal blood purification. Since 1985 membrane PE has been in regular use at the Department of Nephrology, Medical Faculty of Skopje, R.Macedonia.

Plasmaexchange in the treatment of myasthenia gravis associated with thymoma.

Background: All patients with thymomatous Myasthenia Gravis (MG) should undergo early and total thymectomy, but controversy abounds in the choice of chronic immunosuppressive agents. The value of plasmaexchange (PE) in MG has been clearly established in preoperative preparation and treatment of myasthenic crisis. Whether PE may be used in the chronic long-term therapy of patients with thymomatous MG in addition to conventional immunosuppressive agents and cholinesterase inhibitors is yet to be answered.