Immune-mediated rippling muscle disease and myasthenia gravis

J Neuroimmunol. 2016 Oct 15:299:59-61. doi: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2016.08.011. Epub 2016 Aug 12.

Abstract

Cases of acquired rippling muscle disease in association with myasthenia gravis have been reported. We present three patients with iRMD (immune-mediated rippling muscle disease) and AChR-antibody positive myasthenia gravis. None of them had thymus pathology. They presented exercise-induced muscle rippling combined with generalized myasthenia gravis. One of them had muscle biopsy showing a myopathic pattern and a patchy immunostaining with caveolin antibodies. They were successfully treated steroids and azathioprine. The immune nature of this association is supported by the response to immunotherapies and the positivity of AChR-antibodies.

Keywords: AchR antibodies; Autoimmune; Caveolin; Myasthenia; Rippling.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Muscular Diseases / complications
  • Muscular Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Muscular Diseases / immunology*
  • Myasthenia Gravis / complications
  • Myasthenia Gravis / diagnosis*
  • Myasthenia Gravis / immunology*

Supplementary concepts

  • Rippling muscle disease, 1