本態性再生不良性貧血の胸腺

—Pneumomediastinographyを中心として—

抄録

Few reports are found in literature concerning the thymus and hypoplastic anemia. The planimetry of the thymus area in pneumomediastinography of three patients with hypoplastic anemia is reported herein. Case 1 was a 31-year-old male. His bone marrow revealed maturation arrest. Duration of his illness was about 14 years and 14,000mg of prednisolone and 5,650 units of corticotropin were administered. Case 2 was a 49-year-old male. His bone marrow showed a combination of maturation arrest and hypocellurality. The onset of anemia was 14 months ago, and he was treated with 1,945 mg of prednisolone and 1,420 units of corticotropin. The third case was 31-year-old female. The history of hypoplastic anemia began in the 5th month of pregnancy in 1964. Since then 1,220 mg of prednisolone and 400 units of corticotropin were administered prior to pneumomediastinography. Her bone marrow also revealed maturation arrest. The thymus area of pneumomediastinography in these patients was 15.4, 18.0, 20.4 square cm in Case 1, 2 and 3, respectively, and the mean was in 17.9 square cm. The size of thymus in patients with hypoplastic anemia was the same as those of patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Behçet disease, Sjögren's syndrome and myasthenia gravis, and much larger than those of systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. The thymic shadow in the patients with hypoplastic anemia had densities suggestive of a mixture of fat and lymphoid tissue. The relationships of the thymus and anemia, and of the thymus and corticosteroid hormone has been discussed.