Thymus+Gland

The thymus is located in the upper part of the chest. It is made of two lobes that join in front of the trachea. The thymus is an important part of children’s immune systems. It grows larger until puberty and then begins to shrink. The gland produces thymosins, which are hormones that stimulate the development of antibodies. The thymus also produces T-lymphocytes which are white blood cells that fight infections and destroy abnormal cells.

Cancer of the thymus is very rare. Most of the time there are no symptoms of thymus cancer but the following could indicate thymus cancer.
 * Thymus Cancer**
 * A cough that doesn’t go away
 * Chest pain
 * Trouble breathing

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Problems of the Thymus glands

Myasthenia gravis is a type of autoimmune disorders. An autoimmune disorder occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. In people with myasthemia gravis, the body produces antibodies that block the muscle cells from receiving messages (neurotransmitters) from the nerve cell. The exact cause of myasthenia gravis is unknown. In some cases, it may be associated with tumors of the thymus (an organ of the immune system). Myasthenia gravis can affect people at any age. It is most common in young women and older men. []

Hyperplasia is increased cell production in a normal tissue or organ. Hyperplasia may be a sign of abnormal or precancerous changes. This is called pathologic hyperplasia. It can also be due to the growth of completely normal cells. This is called physiologic hyperplasia. []