A retrospective study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine has raised the question of an increased long-term risk, in terms of cancer, autoimmune disease and mortality, after thymectomy as part of cardiothoracic surgery. In Neurology, international specialists in myasthenia (including a researcher from the Institute of Myology) and cardiothoracic surgery review what is known about the thymus, its role, biology and involution. They conclude that
- the clear benefit of thymectomy in autoimmune myasthenia and thymomas, which greatly outweighs the potential risks raised by the results of the retrospective study;
- the importance of avoiding ‘unnecessary’ thymectomy in cases of cardiac surgery, thymic hyperplasia or benign cysts;
- as well as the need for a better understanding of thymus ageing and the real impact of surgery in order to refine therapeutic approaches.
