What Does the Thymus Do?

The thymus gland is an important part of the immune system. It trains the white blood cells (WBCs) to recognize the foreign cells and differentiate them from the body cells. The thymus teaches the WBCs when to attack the deformed or abnormal cells and when to stay put. Fortunately, most of its function is complete by the time a baby is born. The gland starts involuting, or becoming less active, after puberty. Thus, the consequences of removing the thymus gland (thymectomy) depend on the age at which the removal is performed. Early removal of the thymus gland, such as during infancy, can lead to a higher risk of infections, autoimmune conditions (reaction to our own body protein),allergies, and an increased risk of certaincancers.

因此,在大多数情况下,您可以无生活ut a thymus; however, you are prone to the sequelae mentioned above.

There are many diseases and disorders that can affect the thymus gland, ranging from genetic disorders that are evident at birth to cancers that are most common in older adults. These disorders can lead to problems with immunity and autoimmunity, such asmyasthenia gravisand hypogammaglobulinemia.

• Thymic aplasia or hypoplasia:Aplasia of the thymus is a condition in which the thymus gland does not develop. Hypoplasia means the gland is underdeveloped. It may be seen in a genetic condition called DiGeorge syndrome. Children born with this disorder have significantly reduced or absent thymus function. They have severely reduced immunity and are thus prone to repeated infections besides other health conditions.
• Myasthenia gravis:It is a long-term neuromuscular condition characterized byweaknessof the various muscles in the body. Studies have suggested that antibodies triggered by the thymus gland block the communication between the nerves and muscles in myasthenia gravis. This leads to muscle weakness characterized by various symptoms such as difficulty in speaking, chewing, swallowing, drooping of theeyelid, difficulty inwalking, and neck holding.
• Thymic follicular hyperplasia:Hyperplasia causes enlargement of the lymphoid follicles (cells of the thymus gland). This may lead to conditions such aslupus, Grave’s disease, and myasthenia gravis where the body attacks its own cells.
• Thymoma:Thymomas are tumors of the thymus gland. They are generally benign (noncancerous) but maybe rarelymalignant(cancerous). Tumors of the thymus gland may present with symptoms such asshortness of breath,cough,chest pain,difficulty swallowing,loss of appetite, and unintendedweight loss. The tumor may exert pressure on the nearby blood vessels to cause symptoms such as swelling of the face,headache, anddizziness.
• Thymiccysts:Acystis a fluid-filled swelling. Thymic cysts generally do not produce any symptoms and are incidentally diagnosed. A thymiccystis usually harmless, but it may be a site ofcancersuch asthymomaorlymphoma.