Complications

Complication
Timeframe
Likelihood
variable
low

Although rare, patients without a preoperative diagnosis of myasthenia gravis have been known to develop the disease after thymoma resection.[8][91] This is counterintuitive, however, as thymectomy is an accepted treatment of myasthenia gravis.

Myasthenia gravis

variable
low

Although rare, this can occur due to extrinsic tumour compression and invasion or intravascular tumour thrombus.

Clinical features include facial and upper-extremity oedema, facial plethora, and distended veins in the neck and chest wall, and occasionally the abdominal wall.[23]

CT scan with intravenous contrast will confirm the diagnosis.

Symptom resolution is achieved by treating the underlying tumour.

Superior vena cava syndrome

variable
low

Patients who have undergone resection of a thymoma seem to be at an increased risk of developing a second cancer, with colorectal cancer considered the most common.​[92]

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