Thymectomy improves outcomes in myasthenia gravis, trial shows

Surgical removal of the thymus gland significantly improves clinical outcomes and reduces the need for immunosuppressive therapy in patients with the autoimmune condition myasthenia gravis, results from the first randomised trial to compare surgery with steroid treatment1 have shown.

Thymectomy has been the mainstay of treatment for myasthenia gravis for decades but there has previously been no conclusive evidence of its benefit. The condition is caused by circulating antibodies that block acetylcholine …