Myasthenia gravis is most commonly associated with which of the following?
Myasthenia gravis Autoimmune disease with fluctuating muscle weakness that is caused by autoantibodies that target the neuromuscular junction. About 85% of patients have autoantibodies against post-synaptic ACh receptors, while most of the remaining patients have antibodies against the sarcolemmal protein muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase. C/F: - Ptosis or diplopia (Weakness in extraocular muscle) There is a strong association between pathogenic anti-ACh receptor autoantibodies and thymic abnormalities. Approximately 10% of patients with myasthenia gravis have a thymoma, a tumour of thymic epithelial cells. An additional 30% of patients (and paicularly young patients) have a different thymic abnormality called thymic hyperplasia. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors that increase the half-life of ACh are the first line of treatment.
Thymoma
Thymic carcinoma
Thymic hyperplasia
Lymphoma
Auto Immune Disorders Introduction