Comparison of Short-Term Post-Thymectomy Outcomes by Time-Weighted Dosages of Drug Requirements between Thymoma and Non-Thymoma Myasthenia Gravis Patients

Phattamon Wiboonpong, Suwanna Setthawatcharawanich, Pat Korathanakhun, Thanyalak Amornpojnimman, Nannapat Pruphetkaew, Pensri Chongphattararot, Chutarat Sathirapanya and Pornchai Sathirapanya ()
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Phattamon Wiboonpong: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
Suwanna Setthawatcharawanich: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
Pat Korathanakhun: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
Thanyalak Amornpojnimman: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
Nannapat Pruphetkaew: Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
Pensri Chongphattararot: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
Chutarat Sathirapanya: Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
Pornchai Sathirapanya: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 4, 1-13

Abstract: (1) Background: Early thymectomy is suggested in all clinically indicated myasthenia gravis (MG) patients. However, short-term clinical response after thymectomy in MG patients has been limitedly described in the literature. This study aimed to compare the 5-year post-thymectomy outcomes between thymoma (Th) and non-thymoma (non-Th) MG patients. (2) Methods: MG patients aged ≥18 years who underwent transsternal thymectomy and had tissue histopathology reports in Songklanagarind Hospital between 2002 and 2020 were enrolled in a retrospective review. The differences in the baseline demographics and clinical characteristics between ThMG and non-Th MG patients were studied. We compared the time-weighted averages (TWAs) of daily required dosages of pyridostigmine, prednisolone or azathioprine to efficiently maintain daily living activities and earnings between the MG patient groups during 5 consecutive years following thymectomy. Post-thymectomy clinical status, exacerbations or crises were followed. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. (3) Results: ThMG patients had significantly older ages of onset and shorter times from the MG diagnosis to thymectomy. Male gender was the only significant factor associated with ThMG. TWAs of the daily MG treatment drug dosages required showed no differences between the groups. Additionally, the rates of exacerbations and crises were not different, but decremental trends were shown in both groups after the thymectomies. (4) Conclusions: The daily dosage requirements of MG treatment drugs were not different. There was a trend of decreasing adverse event rates despite no statistically significant differences during the first 5 years after thymectomy in ThMG and non-ThMG patients.

Keywords: myasthenia gravis; thymoma; thymectomy; exacerbation; crisis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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