Appearance of systemic lupus erythematosus in patients with myasthenia gravis following thymectomy: two case reports

J Korean Med Sci. 2004 Feb;19(1):134-6. doi: 10.3346/jkms.2004.19.1.134.

Abstract

We report two cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients who had undergone thymectomy. SLE developed in the patients 3 months or 13 yr after thymectomy, and polyarthritis was the main clinical manifestation of SLE. Both patients fulfilled at least four of the revised criteria for the classification of SLE. In this report, we describe two postthymectomy lupus patients and perform a comparative review of previous cases.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / diagnosis*
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / etiology
  • Myasthenia Gravis / diagnosis*
  • Myasthenia Gravis / therapy
  • Thymus Gland / surgery*
  • Time Factors