How is thymoma in Myasthenia Grevis diagnosed
What diagnostic tests can help identify a thymoma in patients with Myasthenia Grevis?
Imaging studies are the gold standard for the diagnosis of thymoma in patients with Myasthenia Grevis, and all Myasthenia Grevis patients should undergo either a computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the chest with contrast.
The sensitivity and specificity of chest CT for the identification of thymoma are 85% and 99%, respectively.
Other adjunctive studies may also suggest thymoma, and antiskeletal muscle antibodies have a sensitivity of 94% in patients with Myasthenia Grevis and a thymic mass.
Antiskeletal muscle antibody titers fall with successful treatment of the thymoma and rise with recurrence, making them useful screening tools for patient follow-up.
