Prognosis of myasthenia gravis: a retrospective study of 380 patients

J Neurol. 1997 Sep;244(9):548-55. doi: 10.1007/s004150050142.

Abstract

The 9139 follow-up records of 438 myasthenia gravis (MG) patients were reviewed. Excluding those patients who were diagnosed 5 or more years after symptom onset (n = 37) and those who experienced only oculomotor symptoms throughout follow-up (n = 21), there were 380 patients. A survival analysis approach was used to assess the influence of prognostic factors on the following endpoints: (a) stable complete remission, (b) complete remission of at least 6 months and (c) pharmacological remission of at least 6 months. Early diagnosis was associated with a better prognosis with respect to all endpoints. Thymectomy also improved the prognosis but only for those patients without thymoma. Later MG onset was associated with a higher tendency to achieve pharmacological remission.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age of Onset
  • Databases, Factual
  • Eye Diseases / mortality
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myasthenia Gravis / mortality*
  • Prognosis
  • Regression Analysis
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Rate
  • Thymectomy
  • Thymoma
  • Thymus Neoplasms