title: Atrophy of the tongue with persistent articulation disorder in myasthenia gravis: report of 10 patients.
abstract: Ten patients with atrophy of the tongue, from a group of 752 with generalized acquired myasthenia gravis (MG), were studied. Tongue atrophy developed late in the majority of patients and was accompanied by tongue paresis (70% of the cases) and eventually associated to atrophy of other muscles of the palate, especially the uvula. All the patients exhibited severe forms of MG with bulbar involvement, mainly persistent dysphonia and dysphagia, almost always refractory to treatment. There is no correlation among atrophy of the tongue, sex, and thymus pathology. There is correlation between severeness of symptoms and early, persistent and treatment refractory dysphonia and dysphagia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo Medical School, Brazil.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: De Assis
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Marchiori
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scaff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001184:Articulation Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D009886:Ophthalmoplegia / Q000209:etiology; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013934:Thymectomy; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000601:surgery; D014059:Tongue / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014609:Uvula / Q000503:physiopathology; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D011241:Prednisone