The in vivo synthesis of diaphragm endplate acetylcholine receptors was estimated in mice treated daily with IgG from eight myasthenia gravis patients. Myasthenia gravis IgG preparations which had previously been shown to increase the rate of receptor degradation also increased the rate of receptor synthesis, suggesting the existence of a compensatory mechanism serving to stabilise the number o...

Introduction True myasthenia gravis, as distinct from the myasthenic syndrome (Eaton-Lambert syndrome), has not been described in association with neoplastic disease other than malignant thymoma (Simpson, 1958). A case of ocular/bulbar myasthenia gravis occurring in a patient with breast carcinoma is described in which the temporal relationship between the disorders is such that the association...

Dysarthria, dysphagia and repeated aspiration in a 54-year-old woman diagnosed and treated for myasthenia gravis 7 years earlier were initially thought to represent a late exacerbation of myasthenia. A cervical mass invading the jugular foramen and causing multiple lower cranial nerve palsies was biopsied and found to represent invasive ectopic thymoma.

The G2m(n) allotype was significantly increased in Chinese female and high autoantibody cases, and in caucasians with pure ocular myasthenia, or undetectable autoantibody. In contrast to the strong Glm(x) association reported in Japanese, no overall Gm haplotype, or Am or Km allotype association was found in 90 (Taiwan) Chinese and 181 caucasian myasthenia gravis patients.

The case of a 65 year old female with myasthenia gravis and hypercalcaemia is presented. Failure of medical control of the myasthenia necessitated thymectomy at which time parathyroid exploration was also carried out. This revealed parathyroid hyperplasia and a thymoma. This association has not been previously documented in the literature.

Introduction. Myasthenia Gravis is an autoimmune disorder, which is clinically a neuromuscular illness that shows itself as muscular weakness and fatigue. The diagnosis of Myasthenia Gravis depends on clinical evaluation, electrophysiological assessment, and autoantibody detection in serum. Known antibodies could be found in about 90% of the patients, which had a causative relation with disease...

Myasthenia gravis is a disease of great challenge to the anesthesiologist, because it affects the neuromuscular junction. Anesthetic management involves either muscle relaxant or non-muscle relaxant techniques. This case report documents the safe use of fentanyl, propofol and sevoflurane combination guided by bispectral index, without the use of muscle relaxants in a patient with myasthenia gra...

A young woman with epilepsy developed myasthenic symptoms while taking diphenylhydantoin. The clinical, electromyographic and pharmacologic findings were consistent with myasthenia gravis. Symptoms of myasthenia ceased on withdrawal of the drug, and recurred on readministration, with little apparent relationship to serum phenytoin levels. This unusual effect is discussed with reference to the k...

The idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, including dermatomyositis, are uncommon acquired autoimmune diseases, sometimes associated with interstitial lung disease. Myasthenia gravis, a separate autoimmune disorder involving the neuromuscular junction, has some overlapping clinical features but has only rarely been reported to occur simultaneously within the same patient. Here we present the firs...

UNLABELLED The aim of the study was to assess factors concurring to fatal outcome of patients operated for thymoma with or without myasthenia gravis. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective observational study was carried out on a series of 10 patients treated for thymoma in the IIIrd Surgical Unit of "St. Spiridon" University Hospital. RESULTS Mean survival time was 4.45 years and mortality r...