title: Diagnostic sensitivity of the laboratory tests in myasthenia gravis.
abstract: The diagnostic sensitivity of three laboratory tests [serum antiacetylcholine receptor antibody (AChR-ab) assay, the repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) test, and, the single fiber EMG (SFEMG)] for myasthenia gravis (MG) was compared in 120 patients. In all cases, at least one of the tests was abnormal. SFEMG was the most sensitive test, being abnormal in 92% of cases, followed by the RNS test (77%) and the AChR-ab assay (73%). SFEMG was abnormal in all cases with negative AChR-ab and RNS tests, in 97% of cases with negative AChR-ab assay, in 89% of cases with negative RNS test, and in 89% of cases with mild MG. We conclude that one of these three tests is abnormal in all cases of MG, and that the SFEMG is most sensitive in the diagnosis of MG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Alabama, Birmingham 35294.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuruoglu
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dwyer
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004576:Electromyography; D006801:Humans; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000502:physiology; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic