Epidemiology is the study of a disease in a population. The epidemiology of myasthenia
gravis (MG) has been studied for over 50 years, and over 50 studies have been published
in one form or another. The published prevalence has steadily increased, and one can
estimate that there are ∼60,000 patients with MG in the United States. The current
trends indicate that, as the population ages, an increasing number of patients with
MG can be expected, but the clinical patterns of the disease may change.
KEYWORDS
Myasthenia gravis - epidemiology - prevalence - incidence - mortality
REFERENCES
- 1 Cambridge Dictionary of American English .Available at: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=anecdote*1+0&dict+A.
Accessed November 24 2003
- 2
Phillips L H.
The epidemiology of myasthenia gravis.
Ann N Y Acad Sci.
2003;
998
407-412
- 3
Phillips L H, Torner J C.
Epidemiologic evidence for a changing natural history of myasthenia gravis.
Neurology.
1996;
47
1233-1238
- 4
Poulas K, Tsibri E, Kokla A et al..
Epidemiology of seropositive myasthenia gravis in Greece.
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry.
2001;
71
352-356
- 5
Kalb B, Matell G, Pirskanen R, Lambe M.
Epidemiology of myasthenia gravis: a population-based study in Stockholm, Sweden.
Neuroepidemiology.
2002;
21
221-225
- 6
Wirtz P W, Nijnuis M G, Sotodeh M et al..
The epidemiology of myasthenia gravis, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome and their
associated tumours in the northern part of the province of South Holland.
J Neurol.
2003;
250
698-701
- 7
Isbister C M, Mackenzie P J, Anderson D et al..
Co-occurrence of multiple sclerosis and myasthenia gravis in British Columbia: a population-based
study [abstract].
Neurology.
2002;
58(suppl 3)
A185-A186
- 8
Phillips L H, Torner J C, Anderson M S et al..
The epidemiology of myasthenia gravis in central and western Virginia.
Neurology.
1992;
42
1888-1893
- 9
Jaretzke A, Barohn R J, Ernstoff R M et al..
Myasthenia gravis. Recommendations for clinical research standards.
Neurology.
2000;
55
16-23
- 10
Vincent A, Clover L, Buckley C et al..
Evidence of underdiagnosis of myasthenia gravis in older people.
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry.
2003;
74
1105-1108
- 11
Nations S P, Wolfe G I, Amato A A et al..
Distal myasthenia gravis.
Neurology.
1999;
52
632-634
- 12
Uncini A, Di Guglielmo G, Di Muzio A et al..
Distal myasthenia gravis and sensory neuronopathy with anti-50 kDa antibody mimicking
sensory-motor neuropathy.
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry.
1997;
63
414-415
- 13
Werner P, Kiechl S, Löscher S et al..
Distal myasthenia gravis: frequency and clinical course in a large prospective series.
Acta Neurol Scand.
2003;
108
209-210
- 14
Hoch W, McConville J, Helms S, Newsom-Davis J, Melms A, Vincent A.
Auto-antibodies to the tyrosine kinase MuSK in patients with myasthenia gravis without
acetylcholine receptor antibodies.
Nat Med.
2001;
7
365-368
- 15
Sanders D B, El-Salem K, Massey J M, McConville J, Vincent A.
Clinical aspects of MuSK antibody positive seronegative MG.
Neurology.
2003;
60
1978-1980
- 16
Pascuzzi R M.
Controlled clinical trials of anything in myasthenia gravis.
Arch Neurol.
1997;
54
1323
- 17
Tindall R SA, Rollins J A, Phillips J T et al..
Preliminary results of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of cyclosporine
in myasthenia gravis.
N Engl J Med.
1987;
316
719-724
- 18
Mantegazza R, Baggi F, Antozzi C et al..
Myasthenia gravis (MG): epidemiological data and prognostic factors.
Ann N Y Acad Sci.
2003;
998
413-423
- 19
Paul R H, Nash J M, Cohen R A et al..
Quality of life and well-being of patients with myasthenia gravis.
Muscle Nerve.
2001;
24
512-516
Lawrence H Phillips IIM.D.
Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Box 800394, Charlottesville, VA 22908