Article

The incidence of myasthenia gravis appears to be increasing in elderly but few studies have been devoted to late onset myasthenia gravis. METHODS: We retrospectively compared myasthenic patients with an age at onset above or below 35 years which were observed in two departments of Neurology from 1980 to 2002. RESULTS: 81 cases were included, 28 of which were late onset myasthenia gravis. The two populations were similar in terms of sex-ratio, clinical symptoms, course of the disease and therapeutic response. There was a trend for older patients to present more frequently at onset with dysphagia and axial or proximal involvement, and to have extra-ocular symptoms more quickly. Antibodies against acetylcholine receptor and striated muscle were statistically more frequent in elder patients. CONCLUSIONS: A late onset is not a factor of poor prognosis in myasthenia gravis and older patients must be treated in the same way than younger ones.

Langue : FRANCAIS