Invited Review
Lifetime course of myasthenia gravis
David Grob MD,
Norman Brunner MD,
Tatsuji Namba MD,
Murali Pagala PhD,
David Grob MD
Department of Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
Search for more papers by this authorNorman Brunner MD
Department of Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
Search for more papers by this authorTatsuji Namba MD
Department of Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Murali Pagala PhD
Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Department of Surgery, Maimonides Medical Center, 4802 Tenth Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219
Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Department of Surgery, Maimonides Medical Center, 4802 Tenth Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219Search for more papers by this authorDavid Grob MD,
Norman Brunner MD,
Tatsuji Namba MD,
Murali Pagala PhD,
David Grob MD
Department of Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
Search for more papers by this authorNorman Brunner MD
Department of Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
Search for more papers by this authorTatsuji Namba MD
Department of Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Murali Pagala PhD
Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Department of Surgery, Maimonides Medical Center, 4802 Tenth Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219
Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Department of Surgery, Maimonides Medical Center, 4802 Tenth Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11219Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Between 1940 and 2000 a total of 1976 patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) were studied. Diagnosis was made by improvement in weakness after anticholinesterase medication. The historical developments in diagnosis and treatment of MG are reviewed. We analyzed the clinical course of MG as influenced by age, gender, thymectomy, thymomectomy, and the presence of antibodies to acetylcholine receptors (AChR). The clinical course of MG was significantly influenced by age and gender, and these need special attention in managing patients. The most severe level of weakness and high mortality occurred during the first 1 to 2 years of the disease, after which many patients experienced improvement. For treating MG patients the usefulness of thymectomy remains to be proven, and novel drugs need to be developed to increase the number as well as normal functioning of the AChRs and other components of the neuromuscular system. Muscle Nerve, 2007
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