Myasthenia gravis(MG) is the disease which characterized by fatiguable weakness due to dysfunction in the neuromuscular junction. Frequently associated disease are thymus abnormalities, thyroid diseases and connective tissue diseases. Clinical
suspicion
is the most important for early and correct diagnosis of MG. Acetylcholine receptor antibody(AchR-Ab) assay, Tensilon test and repetitive nerve stimulation test(Jooly test) have been generally used as diagnostic methods. Each diagnostic method
has
been
reported to have variable sensitivity. We conducted this study in order to investigate the clinical feature of MG, possible associated diseases with MG, sensitivity of each diagnostic tests and response to treatment. We reviewed the medical
records
of
23 MG patients(12 men and 11 women), who were diagnosed at Chung-Ang University Hospital from March, 1986 to May, 1996.
@ES The results and conclusions were as follows:
@EN 1. Most patients(69.5%0 presented their first symptoms) during late teens and young adult age and 5 patients(21.7%) showed their onset after the age of 60.
2. Most patients(83%) were purely ocular type MG, group I by the modified Osserman's classification.
3. The most common initial symptom was ptosis(69.6%), followed by diplopia(47.8%), dysphagia(17.4%), dysarthria(13%), general weakness(13%), mastication difficulty(4.4%).
4. Duration between onset and diagnosis was less than 1 year in 18 patients(78.3%).
5. The most sensitive diagnostic was Tensilon(edrophonium) test, positive in 91%, Positive rate of AchR-Ab assay was 75% and that of repetitive nerve stimulation test(Jolly test) was 65%. These results suggest that Tensilon test is the most
useful
to
diagnose M.G.
6. Seventeen patients(73.9%) had improved by oral anticholinesterase and the others needed corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressants additionally. Thymectomy was done in 3 patients.
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