I was just wondering if any of our group here had been diagnosed with a thymoma. I was also wondering if you had any particular symptoms of thymoma (not MG symptoms) like pressure on your chest, etc..

thanks,
kathie

I had a thymoma but my MG symptoms were so overwhelming I do not remember if I had other ones. I do remember having numbness in my hands and twitching in my right foot that the surgeon said was related to the thymoma and not to MG possibly because of it pressing on nerves but that is about it. I may have had other ones but they were overshadowed by MG. I did have breathing problems but that was probably MG. My thymoma was discovered after months of symptoms, because they thought I might have pneumonia. I was x-rayed and they found it. At least it got me diagnosed and treated. I am now awaiting CT scan results to see if mine has returned. Good luck with your journey.

Is it standard procedure to check for thymoma if you have MG? I have not been checked for it and I have been diagnosed for a year. I have wondered about that.

I don't know if it's standard procedure, but I can say that I was sent for a CT scan to check for one as soon as I was diagnosed by my neurologist.

Hi Kathie,

I had been diagnosed with a very large thymoma in May 2009. My symptoms started 5/1/09 and by 5/12/09 I was in the ER. I did experience what I would call chest pressure when I would lay down. This started around 5/1 and I thought it was odd that I didn't feel the same pressure when I was upright.

When I went to the ER, they thought I had MS until they took a X-ray, then a CT scan which showed the thymoma.

I'm thankful that my symptoms didn't last for years before my diagnosis, but I'm in no way thankful with my life now.

Good luck,
Southern Bell

So getting rid of the thymoma didn't help that much?

Is an untreated thymoma likely to kill you?