Human Thymus (eBook)

Front Cover 1
The Human Thymus 4
Copyright Page 5
Table of Contents 
6 
Dedication 
8 
FOREWORD 10
PREFACE 12
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 16
CHAPTER ONE. STRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN THYMUS 18
Anatomy 18
Histology 20
Electron Microscopy 31
Histological Changes with Age 46
Synopsis 50
References 50
CHAPTER TWO. FUNCTIONS OF THE THYMUS 54
Immunological Functions of the Thymus 54
Endocrine Function of the Thymus Affecting Neuromuscular Transmission 77
Synopsis 89
References 90
CHAPTER THREE. THE THYMUS AND EXPERIMENTAL PATHOLOGY 103
Neuromuscular Disease 103
Other Experimentally Induced Autoimmune Diseases 120
Spontaneously Occurring Autoimmune Diseases 122
Immunological Deficiency Disease 132
Murine Leukaemia 133
Cancer 134
Synopsis 136
References 137
CHAPTER FOUR. SIZE OF THE HUMAN THYMUS 145
The weight of the normal human thymus 145
Stress involution 148
Experimental studies on the effect of hormones on thymic size 148
Small Thymus in Man 150
Large Thymus in Man 151
Synopsis 152
References 153
CHAPTER FIVE. THYMIC HYPOPLASIA AND IMMUNOLOGICAL DEFICIENCIES 157
The mammalian analogue of the avian bursa 157
Main Types of Thymus-Related Immunological Deficiency Disease 158
Synopsis 176
References 177
CHAPTER SIX. THYMITIS AND MYASTHENIA GRAVIS 182
Histopathology of Thymus in Myasthenia Gravis 182
The Serological Abnormality of Myasthenia Gravis 191
The Aetiology of Thymitis in Myasthenia Gravis 194
Thymitis and Neuromuscular Block 198
Muscle Pathology in Myasthenia Gravis 200
Thymectomy in Myasthenia Gravis 202
Synopsis 203
References 204
CHAPTER SEVEN. THYMIC TUMOURS AND SYSTEMIC DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH THYMOMA 211
Classification and Types of Thymomas 211
Ectopic Thymoma 220
Malignant Lymphoma, Including Hodgkin's Disease 220
Metastatic Carcinoma 222
Malignancy of Thymomas 222
Thymic Cysts 224
Thymoma and Systemic Diseases 224
Synopsis 236
References 237
CHAPTER EIGHT. THE HUMAN THYMUS IN EXTRA-THYMIC DISEASES 245
Severe Illness 245
Bacterial Infections 246
Myasthenia Gravis 246
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus 247
Thyroid Disease 259
Autoimmune Haemolytic Anaemia 262
Miscellaneous Diseases 263
Leukaemia and Reticuloses 267
Cancer 267
Infectious Diseases 267
Synopsis 268
References 269
CHAPTER NINE. CLINICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE THYMUS AND RELATED DISEASES 272
Clinical examination 272
Thymic radiology 272
Radioisotopic scanning of the thymus 287
Mediastinoscopy 293
Biopsy and histological examination of the thymus 293
Thymic weight 296
Investigation of Diseases Associated with Abnormality of the Thymus 296
Thymic hypoplasia 296
Thymitis and myasthenia gravis 297
Thymoma 299
Synopsis 300
References 301
CHAPTER TEN. TREATMENT OF THYMIC DISEASES AND RELATED SYSTEMIC DISEASES 304
Thymic Hypoplasia with Immune Deficiency 304
Thymic Hyperplasia 307
Autoimmune Thymitis with Myasthenia Gravis 308
Thymoma 318
Thymectomy for Leukaemia and Lymphoma 320
Thymectomy for Erythroid Aplasia 321
Thymectomy and Autoimmune Disease 322
Thymectomy and Organ Transplantation 324
'Experimental' Thymectomy in Man 325
Thymectomy versus Antilymphocyte Serum 325
Synopsis 325
References 327
APPENDIXES 334
APPENDIX I: CASES OF THYMIC TUMOUR AND 335
HYPOPLASIA OF BONE MARROW 336
APPENDIX II: CASES OF THYMIC TUMOUR AND 355
IMMUNOGLOBULIN DEFICIENCY 356
INDEX 364