Diseases » Myasthenia Gravis » Introduction

Myasthenia Gravis

Myasthenia Gravis: Introduction

Myasthenia Gravis: Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease characterized by varying degrees of weakness of the skeletal (voluntary) ... more about Myasthenia Gravis.

Myasthenia Gravis: An autoimmune disorder which interferes with nerve impulses to muscles and hence results in weak, easily fatigued muscles. More detailed information about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of Myasthenia Gravis is available below.

Symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis

• Muscle weakness
• Eye muscle weakness
• Eyelid muscle weakness
• Drooping eyelids
• Double vision
• more symptoms...»

See full list of 23 symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis

Treatments for Myasthenia Gravis

• Medications
  • Neurotransmitter stimulants
  • Anticholinesterase agents
  • Pyridostigmine
  • Immunosuppressants
• more treatments...»

See full list of 18 treatments for Myasthenia Gravis

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Myasthenia Gravis:

• Nerve Neuropathy: Related Home Testing:
  • Home Diabetes Test Kits
  • Home Blood Glucose Testing Kits
• more...»

Wrongly Diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis?

• Misdiagnosis of Myasthenia Gravis
• Failure to diagnose Myasthenia Gravis
• Hidden causes of Myasthenia Gravis (possibly wrongly diagnosed)
• Undiagnosed: Myasthenia Gravis

Myasthenia Gravis: Related Patient Stories

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• stoke or part of Myasthenia Gravis

Myasthenia Gravis: Deaths

Read more about Deaths and Myasthenia Gravis.

Types of Myasthenia Gravis

• Autoimmune Myasthenia Gravis - the classic autoimmune form.
• Congenital myasthenia - a rare genetic non-autoimmune form occurring in infants.
• more types...»

Read more about Types of Myasthenia Gravis

Diagnostic Tests for Myasthenia Gravis

• Physical examination
• Neurological examination
• Acetylcholine receptor antibody test
• Injection of short-acting neurotransmitter stimulator drug
• more tests...»

Read more about tests for Myasthenia Gravis

Myasthenia Gravis: Complications

Review possible medical complications related to Myasthenia Gravis:

• Myasthenic crisis - acute muscle weakness leading to respiratory failure
• Respiratory paralysis
• Acute respiratory failure (type of Respiratory failure) - if the breathing muscles adversely affected.
• Neonatal myasthenia - a syndrome in babies of autoimmune myasthenia gravis mothers.
• Limb paralysis (see Paralysis symptoms)
• more complications...»

Causes of Myasthenia Gravis

• Thymus tumor
• Thymus abnormality
• more causes...»

Read more about causes of Myasthenia Gravis

More information about causes of Myasthenia Gravis:

• Underlying causes of Myasthenia Gravis
• Myasthenia Gravis as a symptom
• Medical news summaries relating to Causes of Myasthenia Gravis

Disease Topics Related To Myasthenia Gravis

Research the causes of these diseases that are similar to, or related to, Myasthenia Gravis:

• Thymoma
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Lupus erythematosis
• Systemic
• Thyrotoxicosis (Graves disease)
• Myasthenia gravis
• more related diseases...»

Myasthenia Gravis: Undiagnosed Conditions

Commonly undiagnosed diseases in related medical categories:

• Nerve Disorders: serious diseases commonly undiagnosed:
  • Diabetic Neuropathy -- Undiagnosed
  • Peripheral Neuropathy -- Undiagnosed
  • Multiple Sclerosis -- Undiagnosed
  • more ...»
• more undiagnosed conditions...»

Misdiagnosis and Myasthenia Gravis

Vitamin B12 deficiency under-diagnosed: The condition of Vitamin B12 deficiency is a possible misdiagnosis of various conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (see symptoms of multiple...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Myasthenia Gravis

Myasthenia Gravis: Research Doctors & Specialists

Research related physicians and medical specialists:

• Muscle and Orthopedic Specialists:
  • Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine
  • Orthopedic Surgery
• Nerve Specialists:
  • Neurology (Brain/CNS Specialists)
  • Pediatric Neurology (Child Brain Specialist)
  • Spinal Cord Injury Medicine
• more specialists...»

Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:

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Latest Treatments for Myasthenia Gravis

• Thymectomy
• Pyridostigmine bromide
• Mestinon
• Neostigmine methylsulfate
• Prostigmin
• more treatments...»

See full list of 11 latest treatments for Myasthenia Gravis

Evidence Based Medicine Research for Myasthenia Gravis

Medical research articles related to Myasthenia Gravis include:

• Does this patient with diabetes have osteomyelitis of the lower extremity?
• A trial of mycophenolate mofetil with prednisone as initial immunotherapy in myasthenia gravis
• How do you convert an oral pyridostigmine dose to a parenteral neostigmine dose?
• Medical and surgical treatment for ocular myasthenia
• An international, phase III, randomized trial of mycophenolate mofetil in myasthenia gravis
• What type of urinary incontinence does this woman have?
• Intravenous immunoglobulin for myasthenia gravis
• more research...»

Click here to find more evidence-based articles on the TRIP Database

Myasthenia Gravis: Animations

More Myasthenia Gravis animations & videos

Prognosis for Myasthenia Gravis

Prognosis for Myasthenia Gravis: Good. Many people go into remission or suffer only mild disability.

More about prognosis of Myasthenia Gravis

Research about Myasthenia Gravis

Visit our research pages for current research about Myasthenia Gravis treatments.

Clinical Trials for Myasthenia Gravis

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Myasthenia Gravis include:

• Randomized Study of Intravenous Immunoglobulin in Patients With Mild or Moderate Myasthenia Gravis - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - immune globulin
• Trial of Mycophenolate Mofetil in Myasthenia Gravis - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - mycophenolate mofetil,prednisone
• Mycophenolate Mofetil in Myasthenia Gravis - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - mycophenolate mofetil
• Thymectomy Trial in Non-Thymomatous Myasthenia Gravis Patients Receiving Prednisone Therapy - This study is not yet open for patient recruitment (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - prednisone
• Intravenous Immune Globulin Treatment Compared to Placebo in Patients With Myasthenia Gravis - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Intravenous ImmuneGlobulin
• more trials...»

See full list of 9 Clinical Trials for Myasthenia Gravis

Statistics for Myasthenia Gravis

• Medical statistics for Myasthenia Gravis
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Myasthenia Gravis
• Death and Mortality statistics for Myasthenia Gravis
• Society statistics for Myasthenia Gravis

Myasthenia Gravis: Broader Related Topics

• Autoimmune diseases
• Muscle conditions
• Diseases contagious contagious mother-to-fetus
• more types...»

Types of Myasthenia Gravis

Myasthenia Gravis Message Boards

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User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Myasthenia Gravis, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

• I can not get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for this?
• See all the forums.

Article Excerpts about Myasthenia Gravis

NINDS Myasthenia Gravis Information Page: NINDS (Excerpt)

Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease characterized by varying degrees of weakness of the skeletal (voluntary) muscles of the body. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Myasthenia Gravis Information Page: NINDS)

MYASTHENIA GRAVIS: NWHIC (Excerpt)

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease that affects the transmission of signals from nerves to muscles. Myasthenia occurs when antibodies, produced by the body’s immune system, mistakenly attack and destroy special proteins called acetylcholine receptors located at the nerve-muscle junctions. As a result, affected individuals experience weakness that fluctuates with activity. (Source: excerpt from MYASTHENIA GRAVIS: NWHIC)

Definitions of Myasthenia Gravis:

Disease characterized by progressive weakness and exhaustibility of voluntary muscles without atrophy or sensory disturbance and caused by an autoimmune attack on acetylcholine receptors at the neuromuscular junction. - (Source - Diseases Database)

A chronic progressive disease characterized by chronic fatigue and muscular weakness (especially in the face and neck); caused by a deficiency of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junctions - (Source - WordNet 2.1)

Ophanet, a consortium of European partners, currently defines a condition rare when it affects 1 person per 2,000. They list Myasthenia Gravis as a "rare disease".
Source - Orphanet

 » Next page: What is Myasthenia Gravis?

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