Clinic, diagnosis and treatment of myasthenia gravis

Abstract

Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune disease of neuromuscular synapses with muscle
weakness as the main clinical manifestation. Myasthenia gravis affects people of all ages but it is
considered as a “disease of young women and older men.” Myasthenic weakness usually affects
extraocular, bulbar muscles or muscles of proximal extremities. Antibodies to acetylcholine
receptors and to muscle-specific tyrosinekinase play an important role in the pathogenesis of
the disease. The main treatment principles are acetylcholine inhibitors, glucocorticosteroids
and immunosuppressive drugs and such methods as plasmapheresis and thymectomy