Thymectomy

Thymectomy

Interventions infobox
Name = PAGENAME


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ICD10 =
ICD9 = 07.8
MeshID = D013934
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A thymectomy is an operation to remove the thymus gland. It usually results in remission of myasthenia gravis with the help of medication including steroids. However, this remission may not be permanent.

A thymectomy is mainly carried out in an adult. This is because the thymus loses most of its functional capacity after adolescence, but does retain a small portion of its function during adulthood. This is shown in the decreasing size of the thymus with increasing age after adolescence.

The role of the thymus prior to adolescence is to educate T-cells to a specific response where they then populate the lymphoid organs, for storage until needed. Removal of the thymus as an adult has little immediate effect on the immune system as its role has been completed.

Thymic hypoplasia as may be seen in DiGeorge Syndrome results in no T-cell education, and therefore a severe compromise in T cell mediated and humoral responses.


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • thymectomy — noun (plural mies) Date: circa 1905 surgical removal of the thymus • thymectomize transitive verb …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • thymectomy — The excision of the thymus by operation, radiation or chemical means …   Dictionary of molecular biology

  • thymectomy — /thuy mek teuh mee/, n., pl. thymectomies. surgical removal of the thymus gland. [1900 05; THYM(US) + ECTOMY] * * * …   Universalium

  • thymectomy — noun The surgical removal of the thymus …   Wiktionary

  • thymectomy — Removal of the thymus gland. [thymus + G. ektome, excision] extended t. t. performed via combined sternotomy and a cervical incision to allow removal of all extraglandular thymic tissue. SYN: maximal t.. maximal t. SYN: extended t.. transcervical …   Medical dictionary

  • thymectomy — thy·mec·to·my …   English syllables

  • thymectomy — n. surgical removal of the thymus …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • thymectomy — thy•mec•to•my [[t]θaɪˈmɛk tə mi[/t]] n. pl. mies srg surgical removal of the thymus gland • Etymology: 1900–05 …   From formal English to slang

  • thymectomy — thīˈmektəmē noun ( es) Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary thym (II) + ectomy : excision of the thymus …   Useful english dictionary

  • Тимэктомия (Thymectomy) — хирургическая операция, заключающаяся в удалении тимуса. Источник: Медицинский словарь …   Медицинские термины

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