title: Long-term follow-up of Lambert-Eaton syndrome treated with intravenous immunoglobulin.
abstract: Recent reports have shown that patients with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) improve transiently after high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) administration. Information about the usefulness of IVIG for long-term treatment is rather scanty. Our findings demonstrate the efficacy of monthly IVIG courses at a dose of 0.4 g/kg/day for 5 days, in a 41-year-old patient with LEMS without detectable malignancy. Improvement in limb strength, peak expiratory flow rate, and electrophysiological parameters, as well as clinical signs following IVIG, was evident as early as 7 days after the first course and is still maintained at 24-months follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas Alfredo Lanari, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muchnik
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Losavio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cura
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mazia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015624:Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous