Thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis without acetylcholine receptor antibodies

J Neurol Sci. 2011 Mar 15;302(1-2):112-3. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2010.12.013. Epub 2011 Jan 13.

Abstract

Patients with myasthenia gravis and thymoma usually present antibodies to the acetylcholine receptor (AchR-Ab). Only two cases of thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis without AchR-Ab have been previously reported. We describe a case of seronegative thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis as a further evidence of the variability of myasthenia gravis in terms of antibody profile and thymic pathological findings.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials / physiology
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
  • Autoantibodies
  • Azathioprine / therapeutic use
  • Electric Stimulation
  • Evoked Potentials, Motor / physiology
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Muscle Weakness / etiology
  • Muscle, Skeletal / physiology
  • Myasthenia Gravis / complications*
  • Myasthenia Gravis / immunology
  • Neurologic Examination
  • Prednisone / therapeutic use
  • Radioimmunoassay
  • Receptors, Cholinergic / immunology*
  • Thymoma / complications*
  • Thymoma / immunology
  • Thymus Neoplasms / complications*
  • Thymus Neoplasms / immunology
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Autoantibodies
  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Receptors, Cholinergic
  • Azathioprine
  • Prednisone