Clinical Study of 106 Myasthenia Gravis in Children / 实用儿科临床杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics of myasthenia gravis(MG)in children.Methods One hundred and six children with MG in Children′s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from Apr. 2002 to Apr. 2007 were concluded in the study.The data of laboratory examinations,including virus antibody,autoantibody test,immunity function,chest X-ray or chest CT,MRI,ECG and repetitive nerve stimulation, and treatment of cholinesterase inhibitor,glucocorticoids and high-dose immunoglobulin were reviewed.Results Among 106 children,male-to-female ratio was 1 to 1.16,male 49 cases,female 57 cases.The course of disease was 3 days to 11 years.The age of onset of all 106 children with MG varied from 10 months to 14.3 years old and the mean age was (4.74?3.32) years old.The most common age of onset was less than 3 years old(55.7%).There were 41 cases newly diagnosed children and 65 cases received irregular treatment or relapsed after treatment.The ocular muscular symptoms were mostely found at the onset(84.0%);brainstem type was involved at the onset(2.8%),generalized type was involved at the onset(13.2%);58 out of 106 cases(54.7%) had upper respiratory tract infection before the onset with MG; 41 out of 52 cases with MG had abnormal immune function or auto antibody-positive,myocardial enzymes increased in 45 cases increased in varying degrees,thymoma were not found by use of sternum or CT or MRI in 69 cases,repetitive nerve stimulation of 7 out of 11 cases were abnormal; 17 cases (16.0%) of the children received single pyridostigmine treatment,10 cases (9.4%) received co-adrenal hormone and before steroid given IVIG therapy respectively were satisfied with the efficacy,and gravis symptoms were improved;61.3% of the cases had a relapse who underwent irregular treatment or relapse after treatment,before relapse 37 cases (56.9%) received single cholinesterase inhibitor treatment, 28 cases (43.1%)for co-adrenal hormone, after adrenocortical hormone and pyridostigmine treatment.The prognosis of 72 patients(67.9%) with MG was usually good; the causes of relapse resulted from infection (30 cases, 46.2%), irregular drug use (22 cases,33.8%), and drug withdrawal and infection (13 cases, 20.0%).Conclusions As early as age of onset,the disease easily repeated,to be early co-adrenal hormone therapy group is the children′s clinical features of MG.