The effect of early prednisolone treatment on the generalization rate in ocular myasthenia gravis.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Several small retrospective studies have observed that patients with a purely ocular manifestation of myasthenia gravis (MG) are significantly less likely to convert to a generalized disease when treated early on with corticosteroids. However, given the limited number of reported patients in the literature these findings still remain controversial.

METHODS:

In order to increase the number of published cases, we performed a retrospective analysis on 44 patients with newly diagnosed ocular MG who were subsequently either treated with corticosteroids or received no immunosuppressive therapy at all. The generalization rate was assessed at the end of a 2-year follow-up period.

RESULTS:

Whereas none of 17 treated patients generalized, 11 of 27 (41%) untreated patients developed generalized symptoms. The difference between the groups was significant (P=0.003).

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results agree well with previous studies on this issue. Taken together, published data indicate risk ratios for generalization of below 0.32 under corticosteroid treatment in comparison to untreated patients.

• Authors: H Zach, H Cetin, E Hilger, A Paul, B Wuschitz, R Jung, E Auff, F Zimprich
• Journal: European journal of neurology (Eur J Neurol) Vol. 20 Issue 4 Pg. 708-13 (Apr 2013) ISSN: 1468-1331 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 23279780 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2012 The Author(s) European Journal of Neurology © 2012 EFNS.

Chemical References

• Anti-Inflammatory Agents
• Autoantibodies
• Cholinesterase Inhibitors
• Immunosuppressive Agents
• Receptors, Cholinergic
• Prednisolone
• Pyridostigmine Bromide

Topics

• Adult
• Age of Onset
• Aged
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents (therapeutic use)
• Autoantibodies (blood)
• Blepharoptosis (etiology, physiopathology)
• Cholinesterase Inhibitors (therapeutic use)
• Disease Progression
• Eye Diseases (drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Immunosuppressive Agents (therapeutic use)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Muscle Weakness (etiology, physiopathology)
• Myasthenia Gravis (drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Oculomotor Muscles (physiopathology)
• Prednisolone (therapeutic use)
• Pyridostigmine Bromide (therapeutic use)
• Receptors, Cholinergic (immunology)
• Retrospective Studies
• Risk Assessment