What are the symptoms of thymoma? Xie Dong, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University Many patients often ask, “Dr. Xie, clinically, what are the symptoms of suspected thymoma? Common symptoms of thymoma include: 1, physical examination found, no symptoms In fact, many patients with smaller nodules, most of them do not have any symptoms, they are found unintentionally during physical examination, without any symptoms, or accidentally found by doing CT or MRI because of other symptoms. 2.Symptoms of compression of surrounding tissues If the nodule is large, it produces corresponding compression symptoms, which can include: chest tightness, chest pain (symptoms produced by direct compression of tumor), cough, coughing (tumor compression of lung tissues), shortness of breath, shortness of breath (tumor compression of lung tissues), hoarseness (tumor invasion of laryngeal nerve), choking on drinking water (tumor invasion of superior laryngeal nerve), swelling of upper limbs and head and face (tumor compression of the innominate vein or The tumor may also cause non-specific symptoms, such as fever and weakness. Typical manifestations of head and facial swelling 3. Local metastasis-related symptoms Some thymomas may cause metastasis to the pleural cavity, pleural fluid or pericardial effusion, which may also produce corresponding symptoms such as chest tightness, shortness of breath or panic. Very few thymic carcinomas may metastasize to the brain or other distant places to form the corresponding symptoms. 4. Paraneoplastic syndrome About 30% of thymoma patients will develop paraneoplastic syndrome (among which myasthenia gravis, MG is the most common and is mostly seen in B2 type thymoma): (1) neuromuscular syndrome such as myasthenia gravis. About 18% to 50% of patients with thymoma and myasthenia gravis. And about 8% to 15% of patients with myasthenia gravis have thymoma. In patients with myasthenia gravis symptoms, the main symptoms include: weakness of limbs, droopy eyelids, and double vision, etc. The performance is characterized by light in the morning and heavy in the evening, that is, the symptoms of myasthenia gravis are mild in the early stage and worsen in the evening. Some patients have rapid symptomatic improvement after oral administration of bromipyridostigmine. (2) Simple red blood cell aplastic anemia (severe anemia), leukopenia, thrombocytopenia and other blood disorders. (3) Immunodeficiency diseases such as hypogammaglobulinemia, T-cell deficiency syndrome, and susceptibility to infection. What are the types of myasthenia gravis? (1). Myasthenia gravis is mainly characterized by incomplete eye closure, flattening of the frontal lines and nasolabial folds, weakness of the retracted corners of the mouth when laughing compared to the upper lip lift, lifting the lips and showing the teeth like a roar; weakness of mastication, difficulty in swallowing, uncontrolled tongue movement; weakness of the soft palate muscles, nasal pronunciation, etc. are all common early symptoms of myasthenia gravis. (2). In the early stage of myasthenia gravis, most of the patients’ symptoms worsen in the afternoon or evening after exertion and decrease in the morning and after rest, with regular fluctuation of morning light and evening heavy. Typical diplopia is a double vision of the eye, either left or right, or up or down. (3) Generalized myasthenia gravis In the early stage, it usually manifests as difficulty in raising the head, often holding the head with the hands; in severe cases, the patient has chest tightness and shortness of breath, walking weakness, and cannot walk for a long time; it is difficult to wash the face, comb the hair, and dress with support.