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Myasthenia gravis: a long term follow-up study of Swedish patients with specific reference to thymic histology
- Source :
- Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. 78:1109-1112
- Publication Year :
- 2007
- Publisher :
- BMJ, 2007.
-
Abstract
- Background: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder of neuromuscular transmission. The majority of patients show abnormal thymic histology. Setting: The study was performed at the Myasthenia Gravis Centre, Karolinska University Hospital, and at the Immunological Research Laboratory, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Patients and methods: Information was collected retrospectively from 1956 and prospectively from 1975 on clinical data, concomitant diseases, concentration of serum acetylcholine receptor antibodies (AChR-abs), immunosuppressive treatment (IS) and response to it, in 537 patients of whom 326 were thymectomised. Follow-up time was 1.5–50 years. Results: Age at onset of MG increased from a median age of 24 years before 1975 to a median age of 61 years after 2000. Thymoma was found in 65, hyperplasia (HPL) in 185 and a normal thymus in 76 patients. The trans-sternal surgical approach for thymectomy was used in 255 patients (78%). In five patients with thymoma, MG appeared after thymectomy. Of 537 patients, 466 (87%) had circulating AChR-abs. IS was given to 300 (56%) patients, mostly those with thymoma (85%). In total, 441 patients (82%) showed an improvement. One-third of patients with HPL, a quarter of those with thymoma, one-fifth of those with a normal thymus and one-seventh of those not operated on went into remission. Conclusion: The prognosis for the majority of patients with MG is favourable, irrespective of thymic histology. The cause may be the use of immunomodulating therapy.
- Subjects :
- Male
medicine.medical_treatment
Neuromuscular transmission
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms
Comorbidity
Gastroenterology
Receptors, Cholinergic
Prospective Studies
Age of Onset
Aged, 80 and over
Incidence
Middle Aged
Hyperplasia
Thymectomy
Causality
Survival Rate
Psychiatry and Mental health
Treatment Outcome
Population Surveillance
Female
Carcinoma in Situ
Adult
Paper
medicine.medical_specialty
Thymoma
Neuromuscular disease
Thymus Gland
Endocrine System Diseases
Antibodies
Internal medicine
Myasthenia Gravis
medicine
Humans
Lymphatic Diseases
Aged
Retrospective Studies
Immunosuppression Therapy
Sweden
business.industry
Histology
Thymus Neoplasms
medicine.disease
Myasthenia gravis
Surgery
Concomitant
Neurology (clinical)
business
Follow-Up Studies
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 00223050
- Volume :
- 78
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....6f1053232da6ab0d04b36bf484758a34