Surgical treatment of myasthenia gravis in childhood.

Myasthenia gravis is considered to be an autoimmune disorder of neuromuscular transmission. Thymectomy is an effective mode of treatment which produces either remission or stabilization of symptoms especially in young female patients with short duration of disease. The present study, records the experience in ten pediatric patients with early thymectomy done via the transcervical approach. There were no operative deaths or serious complications. Follow-up for a mean of 37 months has shown one to be in complete remission requiring no medication and eight to have improved or stable symptoms. Thymectomy via the transcervical approach is an effective mode of treatment for patients with myasthenia gravis. Since this approach involves a small dissection and avoids sternotomy, the transcervical approach results in a very short postoperative recovery period. It is ideal for those patients not in respiratory failure. It can also be safely done in patients requiring intubation for acute respiratory failure preoperatively.