Keep an Eye Out for Myasthenia Gravis Patients with an Eye Out
نویسندگان
چکیده
Eye trauma and blindness are common in the United States, with an incidence of over 2 million cases/year and 25 million blind adults, respectively. However, literature is surprisingly scarce on the potential confounding effect of eye trauma or blindness on the diagnosis of myasthenia gravis (MG), an autoimmune neuromuscular disease in which fluctuating ocular symptoms are the most distinguishing feature. We present the case of a 75-year-old man with eye enucleation referred for electrodiagnostic evaluation of the right upper limb after an accidental fall. Neurological examination showed proximal muscle weakness, but MG was not initially considered because the patient lacked the classic ocular symptoms of MG. The delay in diagnosis resulted in worsening of systemic MG symptoms, although in other patients it may have precipitated MG crisis or possibly death. Greater awareness that eye trauma or blindness can prevent expression of ocular symptoms in neuromuscular disorders is needed to avoid morbidity associated with an erroneous or delayed diagnosis.
منابع مشابه
MYASTHENIA GRAVIS AND THYMECTOMY: A 10-YEAR STUDY IN SHIRAZ
A retrospective comparative study was performed on 54 patients treated medically or surgically (thymectomy) for myasthenia gravis (MG) from 1979- 1989 in three Shiraz University Hospitals. Each surgical patient was compared with a medical patient on the basis of age, sex, severity and duration of disease. Complete remission was noted in 3 out of 27 thymectomized patients but in none of the...
متن کاملA Case Report of Congenital Myasthenia Gravis Presenting With Respiratory Distress
Congenital Myasthenic Syndromes (CMS) are rare inherited disorders characterized by dysfunction of neuromuscular transmission at the neuromuscular junction. Most patients with congenital myasthenic syndromes present in the infancy. Major symptoms of affected individuals include weakness and fatigue during the first years of life. Patients may show hypotonia, facial weakness, swallowing difficul...
متن کاملStromal Cell Derived Factor-1 Genetic Variation at Locus 801 in Patients with Myasthenia Gravis
Background: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is the most common disorder of neuromuscular junction in which autoantibodies develop against nicotinic acetylcholine receptor for unknown reasons. The association of immunomodulator genes with different autoimmune disease has been studied in recent years. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate correlation between a genetic variation in Stromal Ce...
متن کاملAssociation of HLA-DQA1*0101/2 and DQB1*0502 with Myasthenia Gravis in Southern Iranian Patients
Background: Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder of neuromuscular junction characterized by skeletal muscle weakness and fatigability. Different genes may control the induction and clinical presentation of this disease. Various HLA alleles are reported as predisposing or protective genetic elements in myasthenia gravis. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the probable as...
متن کاملEye muscle antibodies in patients with ocular myasthenia gravis: possible mechanism for eye muscle inflammation in acetylcholine-receptor antibody-negative patients.
Myasthenia gravis is an organ-specific autoimmune disorder generally thought to be caused by an antibody-mediated attack against the skeletal muscle nicotinic acetylcholine (Ach) receptor (AchR) at the neuromuscular junction. Extraocular muscle weakness and double vision are present in about 90% of patients with myasthenia gravis and are the predominant complaints in about 20% of patients, when...
متن کامل