Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37909803›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of neurology2024

Germinal centers are associated with postthymectomy myasthenia gravis in patients with thymoma.

Hye Yoon Chung, Ha Young Shin, Young-Chul Choi, Hyung Jun Park, Jin Gu Lee, Chang Young Lee, Byung Jo Park, Gi Jeong Kim, Seung Woo Kim

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of neurology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Myasthenia Gravis and Thymoma.Muscle & nerve · 2026
    Review
  3. Observational
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Hye Yoon ChungDepartment of Neurology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-5967-4830
Ha Young ShinDepartment of Neurology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Young-Chul ChoiDepartment of Neurology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Hyung Jun ParkDepartment of Neurology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.ORCID 0000-0003-4165-8901
Jin Gu LeeDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Chang Young LeeDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Byung Jo ParkDepartment of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Gi Jeong KimDepartment of Pathology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Seung Woo KimDepartment of Neurology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-5621-0811
Yonsei University · KR

Funding

National Research Foundation of Korea
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposeGerminal centers (GCs) can be observed in the thymic tissues of patients with thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis (MG). Although an association between thymic GCs and MG has been suggested, it is unknown whether the presence of GCs could predict the development of MG after the resection of thymoma, known as postthymectomy MG.

methodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis of previously nonmyasthenic patients who underwent surgical removal of the thymoma. All available thymic tissue slides were rereviewed by a pathologist to assess for GCs. Patients were classified into GC-positive and GC-negative groups based on the presence of GCs. The incidence of postthymectomy MG was compared between the two groups, and the risk factors for postthymectomy MG were assessed.

resultsOf the 196 previously nonmyasthenic patients who underwent thymoma resection, 21 were GC-positive, whereas 175 were GC-negative. Postthymectomy MG developed in 11 (5.6%) patients and showed a higher incidence in the GC-positive group than in the GC-negative group (33.3% vs. 2.3%, p < 0.001). No postoperative radiotherapy and the presence of GCs were risk factors for postthymectomy MG in the univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, invasive thymoma (hazard ratio [HR] = 9.835, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.358-105.372), postoperative radiotherapy (HR = 0.160, 95% CI = 0.029-0.893), and presence of GCs (HR = 15.834, 95% CI = 3.742-67.000) were significantly associated with postthymectomy MG.

conclusionsThymic GCs may be a significant risk factor for postthymectomy MG. Even in patients with thymoma who do not show clinical symptoms of MG, postthymectomy MG should be considered, especially if thymic GCs are observed.

Indexed as

Myasthenia GravisThymomaThymus NeoplasmsHumansRetrospective StudiesThymectomygerminal centersmyasthenia gravisrisk factorsthymectomythymoma

Identifiers

PMID37909803
PMCPMC11235914
OpenAlexW4388128262

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.