you raise valid points thank you, haven t thought about them

The doctor said that he would perform the surgery through the transcervical approach, but he would ask my acceptance beforehand to revert to the full sternoctomy if findings are not good...

you see, when I started the conversation, he said that I have a thymoma (that could be benign or malign), by the end of the conversation he considered the enlargement as a third option, he also mentioned at some point that he thinks I have an encapsulated thymoma and to me there were too many variables into the conversation ( I do understand that is difficult to assess, but maybe a bit more accuracy is possible?) so that s why I am in doubt..

Have you asked to get a copy of the CT scan & MRI reports so that you can read them for yourself. Here in the States we are entitled to get copies of all reports, not sure about UK. Just a thought.

Hi Newmg, If your Dr is willing - I would just want the thymus removed anyway. You never know what may happen later. You may get worse and then find the surgery is harder for you. It may be a hidden cancer as the others have said.

I am reading this thread and am stunned. I HAVE the enlarged thymus but so far it has been IGNORED by 3 DIFFERENT Neuros. I simply do not get it. I have only had the one CT Scan and the GP ordered that one. The Neuros won't even order a repeat scan - perhaps because I do not have severe ocular symptoms and bulbar and respiratory are 'invisible'.

Your Dr sounds good. I would be guided by his ideas.

Hi Xanadu,

Not to confuse matters more, but I got a bit curious when I read in another thread that you also have Addison's disease and I think hypothyroidism?

I googled addison's disease + hyperplastic thymus, and I found some info. saying that anyone who has an adrenalectomy and many with addison's develop a hyperlastic thymus for some reason. Also, people with Grave's disease (which I know is the opposite of hypothyroidism, but still kinda interesting) also often develop a hyperplastic thymus.

I came across this article re. Graves and the thymus. It's by an MG expert here in Ontario (one that I was raving to you about in another thread).

http://cjns.metapress.com/app/home/c...lts,1:300307,1

Anyway, sometimes, at least with the Grave's, symptoms of it can be almost identical to MG. In the above case, when the patient was treated properly for Grave's, the MG-like symptoms disappeared.

It's all so confusing, though. I wonder why the thymus becomes hyperplastic in these conditions without actually causing MG? It's kinda weird...But maybe that's why your hyperplastic thymus isn't being looked at more closely? Has the doctor ever mentioned that it could be enlarged in Addison's? It still seems like you have MG, though, from everything you describe, and it isn't uncommon to have both- in fact, they seem to be connected.

Hi Nicky, That is what I found when I googled too. No one has actually sat down with me and explained all of this but over time ( and googling ) I have started to work out why there may be a delay for me being dx with MG. I do actually have the Graves antibodies as well as the Hashimotos antibodies ( low and high thyroid) but that can happen with 'simple' Hashimotos as well. And they are not terribly high... And my Addisons appears to be more Pituitary than autoimmune... no AD antibodies ever been found - but that is not conclusive either - as they are fairly transient. I seem to be caught in some type of twilight zone !

Hello!! I am new 2 this site and was hoping 2 get any info. on a sternotomy. I am really scared and nervous. I would appreciate any info. on ur experience with this surgery. Hope 2 hear from some one soon!!!


Thank-you!!