system
Medical AI Inquiry: You were designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.
user
A 22-year-old female student was found to have an anterior mediastinal mass on a chest x-ray for a persistent cough. What finding is true regarding the thymus gland?
assistant
The correct answer is  The thymus gland is removed in certain cases of myasthenia gravis. It is located in the anterior mediastinum and can be approached by a cervical or mediastinal approach. It arises from the third and fourth branchial arches. Pneumococcal infections are particularly likely to develop after splenectomy performed in children.