Effect of thymectomy in immune diseases other than myasthenia.

In the course of thymectomy of patients with myasthenia gravis, surprising data concerning the recovery or considerable improvement of other immune disorders have been observed. Among these disorders rheumatoid arthritis figured in six instances, immune thrombocytopenia in two cases, polymyositis and psoriasis in one case each. Thymectomy as a powerful immunosuppressive procedure may have a role in the therapeutic management of some immune disorders other than myasthenia gravis.