title: Associated disorders in myasthenia gravis: autoimmune diseases and their relation to thymectomy.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thorlacius
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Aarli
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Riise
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Matre
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Johnsen
mesh_terms: D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000150:complications; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000601:surgery*; D013966:Thyroiditis / Q000150:complications