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Liang F, Yin Z, Li Y, Li G, Ma J, Zhang H, Xia X, Yao M, Pang X, Wang J, Chang X, Guo J, Zhang W. Constructing and Validating a Nomogram Model for Short-Term Prognosis of Patients with AChR-Ab+ GMG. Neurol Ther 2024; 13:551-562. [PMID: 38427273 PMCID: PMC11136915 DOI: 10.1007/s40120-024-00590-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to establish and validate a nomogram prognostic model for predicting short-term efficacy of acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive (AChR-Ab+) generalized myasthenia gravis (GMG). METHODS A retrospective observational study was conducted at the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, enrolling patients diagnosed with AChR-Ab+ GMG from May 2020 to September 2022. The primary outcome was the change in the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) post-intervention status after 6 months of standard treatment. Predictive factors were identified through univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, with significant factors incorporated into the nomogram. The bootstrap test was used for internal validation of the nomogram model. Model performance was assessed using calibration curves, receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, and decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS A total of 90 patients were enrolled, of whom 30 achieved unchanged or worse status after 6 months of standard therapy. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that quantitative myasthenia gravis score, gender, body mass index, course of disease, hemoglobin levels, and white blood cell counts were six potential predictors. These factors were used for multivariate logistic regression analysis, and a nomogram was constructed. The calibration curve showed that the predicted value was in good agreement with the actual value (p = 0.707), and the area under the curve value (0.792, 95% CI 0.686-0.899) indicated good discrimination ability. DCA suggests that this model has potential clinical application value. CONCLUSION The constructed nomogram, based on key patient indicators, shows promise as a clinically useful tool for predicting the short-term efficacy of treatment of AChR-Ab+ GMG. Validation in larger, multicenter cohorts is needed to further substantiate its applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Liang
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, No. 85, Jiefang South Street, Taiyuan, China
- First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Zhaoxu Yin
- Department of Neurology, Taiyuan City Central Hospital, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yaqian Li
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, No. 85, Jiefang South Street, Taiyuan, China
- First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Guanxi Li
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, No. 85, Jiefang South Street, Taiyuan, China
- First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Jing Ma
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, No. 85, Jiefang South Street, Taiyuan, China
- First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Huiqiu Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, No. 85, Jiefang South Street, Taiyuan, China
- First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xiaoqian Xia
- First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Make Yao
- Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xiaomin Pang
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, No. 85, Jiefang South Street, Taiyuan, China
| | - Juan Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, No. 85, Jiefang South Street, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xueli Chang
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, No. 85, Jiefang South Street, Taiyuan, China
| | - Junhong Guo
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, No. 85, Jiefang South Street, Taiyuan, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, No. 85, Jiefang South Street, Taiyuan, China.
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Liu X, Li R, Li W, Liu W, Wang J, Jing Y. The rate of QMGS change predicts recurrence after thymectomy in myasthenia gravis. J Clin Neurosci 2024; 124:20-26. [PMID: 38640804 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2024.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between short-term changes in quantitative myasthenia gravis score (QMGS) after thymectomy and postoperative recurrence in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients without thymoma. METHODS A retrospective observational cohort study. The QMGS of 44 patients with non-thymomatous MG were evaluated before and 1 month after thymectomy, and the frequency and time of postoperative recurrence were recorded. The reduction rate of QMGS (rr-QMGS) was defined as (QMGS one week before thymectomy - QMGS one month after thymectomy)/ QMGS one week before thymectomy × 100 %, as an indicator of short-term symptom change after thymectomy. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was established to determine an appropriate cut-off value of rr-QMGS for distinguishing postoperative recurrence. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was applied to predict postoperative recurrence. RESULTS Postoperative recurrence occurred in 21 patients (30 times in total) during follow-up. The mean annual recurrence rate was 3.98 times/year preoperatively and 0.30 times/year postoperatively. ROC analysis determined the cut-off value of rr-QMGS was 36.7 % (sensitivity 90.5 %, specificity 52.2 %). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that rr-QMGS<36.7 % (hazard rate[HR]6.251, P = 0.014) is positive predictor of postoperative recurrence. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that postoperative recurrence time was earlier in the low rr-QMGS group than in the high rr-QMGS group (12.62 vs. 36.60 months, p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS Low rr-QMGS is associated with early postoperative recurrence. Rr-QMGS can be used to predict postoperative recurrence of non-thymomatous MG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Liu
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Ran Li
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Wenwen Li
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Jiawei Wang
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Yun Jing
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, China.
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Lee Y, Kim SW, Lee E, Shin HY, Kim M, Lee CY, Park BJ, Kim HE, Yang YH, Choi J, Ju S, Park J, Kim N, Choi J, Lee JG, Kwon S, Chung J. Stereotypic T cell receptor clonotypes in the thymus and peripheral blood of Myasthenia gravis patients. Heliyon 2024; 10:e26663. [PMID: 38420468 PMCID: PMC10901099 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Myasthenia Gravis (MG) patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibodies frequently show hyperplastic thymi with ectopic germinal centers, where autoreactive B cells proliferate with the aid of T cells. In this study, thymus and peripheral blood (PB) samples were collected from ten AChR antibody-positive MG patients. T cell receptor (TCR) repertoires were analyzed using next-generation sequencing (NGS), and compared with that of an age and sex matched control group generated from a public database. Certain V genes and VJ gene recombination pairs were significantly upregulated in the TCR chains of αβ-T cells in the PB of MG patients compared to the control group. Furthermore, the TCR chains found in the thymi of MG patients had a weighted distribution to longer CDR3 lengths when compared to the PB of MG patients, and the TCR beta chains (TRB) in the MG group's PB showed increased clonality encoded by one upregulated V gene. When TRB sequences were sub-divided into groups based on their CDR3 lengths, certain groups showed decreased clonality in the MG group's PB compared to the control group's PB. Finally, we demonstrated that stereotypic MG patient-specific TCR clonotypes co-exist in both the PB and thymi at a much higher frequency than that of the clonotypes confined to the PB. These results strongly suggest the existence of a biased T cell-mediated immune response in MG patients, as observed in other autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonghee Lee
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Woo Kim
- Department of Neurology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunjae Lee
- Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Ha Young Shin
- Department of Neurology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - MinGi Kim
- Department of Neurology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Young Lee
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung Jo Park
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Ha Eun Kim
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Ho Yang
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinny Choi
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Soyeon Ju
- Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Jungheum Park
- Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Namphil Kim
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaewon Choi
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Integrated Major in Innovative Medical Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Gu Lee
- Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunghoon Kwon
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
- Bio-MAX Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Junho Chung
- Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Cancer Biology Major, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea
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Tian Y, Shen Q, Peng S, Meng L, Fang R, Xiong A, Li S, Yang Y, Chang W, Ni J, Zhu W. Mapping current trends and hotspots in myasthenia gravis from 2003 to 2022: a bibliometric analysis. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1320344. [PMID: 38213833 PMCID: PMC10782526 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1320344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Research on myasthenia gravis (MG) has undergone rapid development in recent years. This article aimed to elucidate the characteristics of MG publications over the past 20 years and analyze emerging trends using bibliometric methods. Methods Information on MG articles was obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection and stored in Excel for quantitative analyses. Bibliometric analyses were performed using CiteSpace and VOSviewer to visualize publications according to countries/regions, institutions, journals, and authors. Results A total of 3,610 publications were included in the analysis. The USA had the highest number of publications (NP) and H-index. Among the institutions, the University of Oxford had the highest NP, followed by the University of Toronto and Duke University. Close cooperation was observed among countries and institutions. The most productive author was Renato Mantegazza, followed by Jan J. Verschuuren, and Amelia Evoli. Muscle & Nerve published the most articles on MG, followed by the Journal of Neuroimmunology and Neuromuscular Disorders. The keyword with the highest strength is "neuromuscular transmission," followed by "safety" and "rituximab." Co-citation analysis includes 103 publications cited at least 65 times, categorized into four clusters. Additionally, 123 keywords cited more than 40 times were analyzed and divided into five clusters. Conclusion This bibliometric analysis shows the framework of research over the past 20 years by mapping the scholarly contributions of various countries or regions, institutions, journals, and authors in MG. The analysis also explores future trends and prospective directions, emphasizing individualized treatment based on subtypes, novel immunotherapeutic approaches, and thymectomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukun Tian
- Department of Acupuncture, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qiqi Shen
- Department of Acupuncture, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Siyang Peng
- Department of Acupuncture, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Linghao Meng
- Department of Acupuncture, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ruiying Fang
- Department of Acupuncture, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Anni Xiong
- Department of Acupuncture, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shaohong Li
- Treatment Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Bo’ai Hospital, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Yajing Yang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yuyuantan Community Health Center, Beijing, China
| | - Weiqian Chang
- Department of Acupuncture, Guang’anmen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Ji’nan Hospital (Ji’nan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Jinxia Ni
- Department of Acupuncture, Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Wenzeng Zhu
- Department of Acupuncture, Guang’anmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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Chen X, Qiu J, Gao Z, Liu B, Zhang C, Yu W, Yang J, Shen Y, Qi L, Yao X, Sun H, Yang X. Myasthenia gravis: Molecular mechanisms and promising therapeutic strategies. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 218:115872. [PMID: 37865142 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a type of autoimmune disease caused by the blockage of neuromuscular junction transmission owing to the attack of autoantibodies on transmission-related proteins. Related antibodies, such as anti-AChR, anti-MuSK and anti-LRP4 antibodies, can be detected in most patients with MG. Although traditional therapies can control most symptoms, several challenges remain to be addressed, necessitating the development of more effective and safe treatment strategies for MG. With the in-depth exploration on the mechanism and immune targets of MG, effective therapies, especially therapies using biologicals, have been reported recently. Given the important roles of immune cells, cytokines and intercellular interactions in the pathological process of MG, B-cell targeted therapy, T-cell targeted therapy, proteasome inhibitors targeting plasma cell, complement inhibitors, FcRn inhibitors have been developed for the treatment of MG. Although these novel therapies exert good therapeutic effects, they may weaken the immunity and increase the risk of infection in MG patients. This review elaborates on the pathogenesis of MG and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the strategies of traditional treatment and biologicals. In addition, this review emphasises that combined therapy may have better therapeutic effects and reducing the risk of side effects of treatments, which has great prospects for the treatment of MG. With the deepening of research on immunotherapy targets in MG, novel opportunities and challenges in the treatment of MG will be introduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, PR China
| | - Jiayi Qiu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical College, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, PR China
| | - Zihui Gao
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, PR China
| | - Boya Liu
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, PR China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, PR China
| | - Weiran Yu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical College, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, PR China
| | - Jiawen Yang
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Medical College, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, PR China
| | - Yuntian Shen
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, PR China
| | - Lei Qi
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, PR China
| | - Xinlei Yao
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, PR China.
| | - Hualin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, PR China.
| | - Xiaoming Yang
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, PR China.
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Paganelli R, Di Lizia M, D'Urbano M, Gatta A, Paganelli A, Amerio P, Parronchi P. Insights from a Case of Good's Syndrome (Immunodeficiency with Thymoma). Biomedicines 2023; 11:1605. [PMID: 37371700 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11061605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunodeficiency with thymoma was described by R.A. Good in 1954 and is also named after him. The syndrome is characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia associated with thymoma and recurrent infections, bacterial but also viral, fungal and parasitic. Autoimmune diseases, mainly pure red cell aplasia, other hematological disorders and erosive lichen planus are a common finding. We describe here a typical case exhibiting all these clinical features and report a detailed immunophenotypic assessment, as well as the positivity for autoantibodies against three cytokines (IFN-alpha, IL-6 and GM-CSF), which may add to known immune abnormalities. A review of the published literature, based on case series and immunological studies, offers some hints on the still unsolved issues of this rare condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Paganelli
- Department of Medicine and Sciences of Aging, University "G. D'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
- Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, UniCamillus, Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, 00131 Rome, Italy
| | - Michela Di Lizia
- Allergology ASL Teramo, Hospital of Giulianova, 64021 Giulianova, Italy
| | - Marika D'Urbano
- Laboratory Unit, Hospital S. Annunziata, 67039 Sulmona, Italy
| | - Alessia Gatta
- Allergology Service, ASL Chieti, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Alessia Paganelli
- PhD Course in Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Modena-Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy
| | - Paolo Amerio
- Department of Medicine and Sciences of Aging, University "G. D'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Paola Parronchi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, Italy
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Haridy NA, Khedr EM, Hasan AM, Maghraby AA, Abdelmohsen E, Aly AM. Myasthenia gravis with achalasia secondary to thymoma: a case report and literature review. THE EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, PSYCHIATRY AND NEUROSURGERY 2023; 59:34. [PMID: 36936607 PMCID: PMC10016158 DOI: 10.1186/s41983-023-00636-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune neuromuscular junction disorder characterized by fatigable muscle weakness and autoantibodies. Frequent associations exist between myasthenia gravis and thymic abnormalities, including hyperplasia and thymoma. Several autoimmune illnesses have been identified to be associated with thymoma; however, a few case reports have linked thymoma and achalasia, and the underlying mechanism is unknown. Case report A 43-year-old man with thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis presented with dysphagia that was refractory to conventional treatment of myasthenia gravis. This dysphagia was challenging to diagnose even after multiple gastroenterology consults and upper endoscopy. The diagnosis of achalasia type II was established after a comprehensive evaluation, including upper endoscopy, barium swallow, and high-resolution esophageal manometry. The patient underwent elective pneumatic balloon dilatation, which successfully alleviated his dysphagia. Conclusion This case confirmed the association between myasthenia gravis secondary to thymoma and achalasia and showed how the diagnosis of achalasia was challenging. Awareness of this association is crucial for early diagnosis and treatment, improving affected patients' quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nourelhoda A. Haridy
- grid.252487.e0000 0000 8632 679XDepartment of Neurology and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Eman M. Khedr
- grid.252487.e0000 0000 8632 679XDepartment of Neurology and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Asmaa M. Hasan
- grid.252487.e0000 0000 8632 679XDepartment of Neurology and Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Ahmed A. Maghraby
- grid.252487.e0000 0000 8632 679XDepartment of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Essam Abdelmohsen
- grid.252487.e0000 0000 8632 679XDepartment of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - AbdelHamid M. Aly
- grid.252487.e0000 0000 8632 679XDepartment of Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
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