Rippling muscles and myasthenia gravis with rippling muscles.
OBJECTIVE
To describe a patient with rippling muscles and myasthenia gravis.


METHODS
Clinical, laboratory, electrophysiologic, and muscle biopsy data are reported.


METHODS
Medical office and hospital.


METHODS
We describe a patient with rippling muscles (as seen in rippling muscle disease) and myasthenia gravis (MG) with thymoma. There was no family history of rippling muscle disease in our patient. Diplopia and other symptoms of MG were initially overshadowed by the striking rippling phenomenon. The rippling resolved when the MG became florrid.


METHODS
The patient was treated with pyridostigmine, prednisone, and plasmaphereses before removal of a thymoma.


RESULTS
His MG improved with treatment and the rippling has not recurred 4 months after thymectomy.


CONCLUSIONS
Rippling muscle disease is rare and usually inherited. Our patient with rippling muscles (but no family history of rippling muscle disease) and MG suggests that rippling muscles may also be triggered by an autoimmune phenomenon.
Ansevin
C F
CF
St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Youngstown, Ohio, USA.
Agamanolis
D P
DP
D001706:Biopsy; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000150:complications*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000150:complications; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000150:complications