Causes of Myasthenia Gravis
- 1. Myasthenia Gravis is caused by different sets of antibodies directed against the AChR and its associated functional proteins.
- 2. The thymus plays a major role in the immunopathogenesis of Myasthenia Gravis, and its removal improves chances for remission and response to medical therapy.
- 3. Diagnostic tests for Myasthenia Gravis include RNS, AChR antibody assays, the Tensilon test, and Single fiber electromyography.
- 4. Fifteen percent of Myasthenia Gravis patients have a thymoma, and 10% of thymomas in Myasthenia Gravis patients are malignant; therefore, every Myasthenia Gravis patient requires CT or MRI of the chest.
- 5. Single fiber electromyography has the greatest sensitivity of any test for Myasthenia Gravis (90% to 95%) and is particularly useful in mild or pure ocular cases when other assays are more likely to be negative or indeterminate.