A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF MYASTHENIC PATIENTS AT THE NEUROLOGY AND NEUROSURGERY FOUNDATION – THE BRAIN INSTITUTE (“FUNDAÇÃO DE NEUROLOGIA E NEUROCIRURGIA- INSTITUTO DO CÉREBRO”)

Abstract

Myasthenia gravis is an auto-immune disease, transmitted by an anti-body at the neuromuscular junction and which causes a transitory or persistent, and usually a floating, weakness and tiredness in some - or all - of the muscles.  This   has   been a descriptive study of a series of cases, whose data were obtained from a  review of medical charts from the 29  evaluated patients, bearing MG.  75.90% of the samples were females, with their age ranging from 2 to 79 years. 69%  of  the  evaluated   patients have been classified as bearers of the light form of myasthenia, including the occular and the generalized  forms, while 9% of the  patients have not related comorbidities. Before thymectomy had taken place, the most prevailing symptoms   were   eyelid ptosis (11 patients) , diplopia (6 patients), asthenia  (14 patients), paresis of the upper limbs (10 patients) and paresis of the lower  limbs (11 patients).  After thymectomy had taken place, the symptoms which have been more significantly reduced were those of ptosis that persisted in 5 patients, while the paresis of upper and lower limbs persisted in 5 and 6 patients, respectively. As for Keynes classification, 46.70%   presented a good response. The evaluated patients presented a good response towards thyme ctomy, displaying a significant reduction of the symptoms.