Clinical characteristics of AChRAb and MuSKAb double seropositive myasthenia gravis patients

Abstract

Objectives: To explore the characteristics of double seropositive myasthenia gravis (DSP-MG).

Patients and methods: A literature review of twenty-four cases of DSP-MG including 2 novel cases presented in the current study, was performed.

Results: Among 24 reported patients, 7 were male (29.17%) and 17 were female (70.83%). Among 20 patients with known age, the mean age of onset was 37.30 ± 19.50 years, among which the average onset age of the 6 male patients was 53.17 ± 8.98 years, while the average onset age of the remaining 14 female patients was 30.50 ± 18.94 years. Three patients had simple ocular muscle-type MG (14.28%), while 18 (85.71%) had non-ocular muscle-type MG. After administration of penicillide, 1 patient developed DSP-MG. In 9 cases, patients developed DSP-MG after thymectomy, while 5 patients naturally developed DSP-MG.

Conclusion: Women more frequently developed DSP-MG than men and men were diagnosed at an older age. MG is typically found in the ocular muscles, bulbar and limb muscles.

Keywords: Acetylcholine receptor antibody; Double-seropositive myasthenia gravis (DSP-MG); Muscle-specific tyrosine kinase antibody; Myasthenia gravis (MG).