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Associated disorders in myasthenia gravis: autoimmune diseases and their relation to thymectomy
Author(s) -
Thorlacius S.,
Aarli J. A.,
Riise T.,
Matre R.,
Johnsen H. J.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
acta neurologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.967
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1600-0404
pISSN - 0001-6314
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.1989.tb03881.x
Subject(s) - medicine , myasthenia gravis , rheumatoid arthritis , thymectomy , autoimmune disease , ankylosing spondylitis , autoimmune thyroiditis , thyroiditis , anti nuclear antibody , population , immunology , rheumatoid factor , disease , autoantibody , antibody , environmental health
— The prevalence of myasthenia gravis (MG) in the counties of Hordaland and Sogn & Fjordane on January 1, 1984 was 9.6 per 100,000 inhabitants. Other autoimmune diseases were found in 11 out of 48 MG patients. The occurrence of autoimmune thyroiditis (5 patients, 10.4%) and systemic lupus erythematosus (4 patients, 8.3%) in the MG patients was clearly higher than that reported in the general population. Rheumatoid arthritis was found in 2 patients (4.2%). The autoimmune diseases were mainly recorded among the nonthymectomized MG patients. In addition to those with definite diseases of autoimmune nature, 3 other MG patients had thyroid antibodies and 1 had antinuclear factor without clinical evidence of autoimmune disease. Seven MG patients (14.6%) had unspecific arthralgia during active periods of MG. Two MG patients had ankylosing spondylitis.