Effectiveness of steroid treatment in myasthenia gravis: a retrospective study.
The records of 142 patients with generalized autoimmune myasthenia gravis who had been treated with steroids as the single immunosuppressive agent, collected at regular intervals, were employed for a retrospective evaluation. The effectiveness of treatment was assessed after 24 months; the data from the 6th and 12th months were also considered. After 24 months, 63.4% of the whole sample had improved (33.8% were in clinical or pharmacological remission); 13.4% were unchanged or had worsened and 22.3% had moved to a different immunosuppressive treatment. The rate of positive outcome was higher in patients over the age of 40 at disease onset.
C. Mondino Foundation, University of Pavia, Italy.
V
V
Cosi
A
A
Citterio
M
M
Lombardi
G
G
Piccolo
A
A
Romani
A
A
Erbetta
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011729:Pyridostigmine Bromide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013934:Thymectomy
D011729:Pyridostigmine Bromide; D011241:Prednisone