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While it's true that the thymus gland shrinks after puberty, it can still impact your immune system when you have MG. The thymus helps train white blood cells (T cells) to recognize the difference between your own cells and harmful ones. In MG, the thymus can become overactive or enlarged, producing harmful antibodies that Show Full Answer

While it's true that the thymus gland shrinks after puberty, it can still impact your immune system when you have MG. The thymus helps train white blood cells (T cells) to recognize the difference between your own cells and harmful ones. In MG, the thymus can become overactive or enlarged, producing harmful antibodies that interfere with nerve and muscle communication. Between 50-70% of people with MG have thymic hyperplasia (inflammation of the thymus), and about 10% have thymic tumors. These abnormalities can cause the immune system to mistakenly attack healthy tissue, leading to the muscle weakness characteristic of MG. That's why removing the thymus through thymectomy can help reduce symptoms in some people by calming down the overactive immune response.

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