Postintervention status in ocular myasthenia gravis: effects of treatment / 中华神经科杂志

ABSTRACT

ObjectiveTo assess the differences of short- and long-term postintervention status on ocular and systemic symptoms for patients with ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG) after pyridostigmine bromide, corticosteroid, thymectomy, or thymectomy-corticosteroid combination therapy ( combination ).MethodsThis retrospective plus prospective study included 180 OMG patients, whose age of onset ≥ 15 years, treated non-randomly with above therapies separately: thymectomy group (60 cases ), corticosteroid group (39 cases), combination group ( 31 cases ), symptomatic group ( 50 cases ). Postintervention status complying with Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA)complete stable remission ,pharmacologic remission, or minimal manifestations was considered as desirable response, which was used as statistical indicator. Results ①Corticosteroid group showed higher desirable response rates on ptosis, ophthalmoplegia and general weakness at 3-6 months after treatment than other groups, and 42. 1％( 16/38 ) of them at 3 months achieved the desired state of ptosis, higher than the symptomatic group (7/48,14. 6％, ×2 = 8. 200, P = 0. 004 ). ② Ascending ideal rates had been presented in both combination and thymectomy groups since 1 year after treatments, while a little bit higher rate was presented in the former. At the end of observation, 21.7％ ( 13/60 )of patients in thymectomy group achieved complete stable remission.By paired longitudinal comparisons,thymectomy group showed higher ideal rates on ptosis (22/40,55.0％ ), ophthalmoplegia ( 16/27,59. 3％ ) and general weakness (20/40,50. 0％ ) at 2 years than that at 3 months( 11/59,18.6％ ;11/44,25.0％ ;9/60,15.0％ ;P =0. 002, 0. 031,0.000). ③For those patients by symptomatic treatment, the average age of onset was (51.9 ± 18.0) years, higher than that by other 3 therapies (F = 10. 563 ,P =0. 000). ④OMG patients with ophthalmoplegia more likely select corticosteroid or combined therapy. Ophthalmoplegia in combination group was higher than that in symptomatic and surgery groups( ×2 = 12. 939,14. 380, P =0. 000 in both). Ophthalmoplegia in corticosteroid group was higher than that in surgery group ( ×2 = 8. 017, P = 0. 005 ).Conclusions Corticosteroid appears to early overcome ptosis, ocular motor dysfunction and general weakness for patient with OMG in early-to-middle adulthood.Thymectomy andsurgery-corticosteroid combinationtherapies bothshowlong-term effectonthem.