Before describing the two following cases of myasthenia gravis, which is also called myasthenia pseudo-paralytica, or asthenic bulbar paralysis, it may be well to recapitulate the chief features

Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder characterized clinically by fluctuating muscle weakness and fatigability on exertion. The disease is caused by specific autoantibodies against proteins of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) (Conti-Fine et al, 2002; Sanders & Meriggioli, 2009). Two different autoantibodies are routinely detectable, i.e. antibodies against the acetylcholine receptor ...

Myasthenia gravis is an archetypal human autoimmune disease. Thymectomy proven effective by controlled clinical trials, and commonly part of the immunotherapeutic approach when myasthenia creates generalized weakness. Pemphigus foliaceus also but treated medically; thymectomy not therapy unless thymoma discovered. Autoimmune mechanisms, age distribution, response to in disorders are likely be d...

Hypotonia beginning at birth or early in the neo-natal period can be caused by one of the following: (1) infantile muscular atrophy; (2) benign congenital hypotonia; (3) symptomatic hypotonia (Walton, 1960). Infantile muscular atrophy is an established clinicopathological disorder in which muscular atrophy is secondary to disease of the motor neurone. Benign congenital hypotonia is characterize...

OBJECTIVES To study mortality and survival of patients with myasthenia gravis. METHODS 290 patients with myasthenia gravis were studied, including 212 incident cases identified during a comprehensive epidemiological study of myasthenia gravis in western Denmark 1975-89. Follow up was performed on 31 December 1994. Survival curves were constructed using the life table method. Patient data were...

INTRODUCTION Oropharyngeal weakness leading to dysphagia is rarely the presenting symptom of myasthenia gravis, but it can be a significant source of morbidity and mortality. The earliest possible diagnosis of myasthenia gravis should be made for better management of this cause of treatable dysphagia. A detailed evaluation of swallowing by videofluoroscopy can assist in making an accurate diagn...

Anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody was undetectable in 26/153 (17%) sera from myasthenia gravis patients assayed by standard RIA using human acetylcholine receptor. Eight of these were found to be positive with a modified protocol using a mixture of normal and denervated AChR, reducing the proportion of "negative" sera to 12%. Many of these were from patients with a short history; two ...

Methods We have analyzed results of surgical treatment of 87 patients having myasthenia gravis. There were 68 (79,2%) female, 19 (21,8%) male. Patients ranged in age from 15 to 64 years. 80 patients (91,9%) had generalized myasthenia, 7 patients (8,1%) had local forms of myasthenia. The most number of patients had IIb – Iva degree of myasthenia according to international clinical classification...

roglobulin, antimicrosome, or antiskeletal muscle autoantibodies whereas the generalised type showed a high titre and incidence of autoantibodies including AChR antibody.5 Seronegative patients or those with low AChR antibody may form a low responder subgroup of myasthenia gravis distinct from the high responders, who show a high titre of AChR antibody. Twelve patients (37 5%) were of the ocula...

Myasthenia gravis and myotonic dystrophy do not usually coexist; however, we present a rare case where both conditions coexisted. Herein, we describe a 34-year-old woman who presented with symptoms of myasthenia gravis with coexisting myotonic dystrophy. She complained of limb weakness, difficulty in chewing and swallowing, and ptosis. She also had myotonia. The patient’s brother also had simil...