Choices and Challenges With Treatment of Myasthenia Gravis in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review

Cureus. 2023 Jul 31;15(7):e42772. doi: 10.7759/cureus.42772. eCollection 2023 Jul.

Abstract

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease affecting young women in their second and third decades, coinciding with their reproductive years. We aim to explore the choices and challenges in the treatment of MG in pregnancy. Cochrane, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase were the four databases systematically searched for studies with patients reporting pregnancy outcomes for women with MG during pregnancy using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) technique. Quality assessment was done using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical tool (JBI, Adelaide, Australia) for methodological quality. From 2000 to 2023, 40 studies from database search results were considered. There is a substantial risk of complications with MG, especially if it appears during pregnancy. In particular, widespread weakness is a cause of severe, life-threatening disorders, but several treatment options are available.

Keywords: during pregnancy; highrisk pregnancy; myasthenia gravis (mg); myasthenia gravis (mg) in pregnancy; neuromuscular junction disorders; pregnancy; pregnancy counseling.

Publication types

  • Review