title: Incidence and characteristics of Myasthenia gravis in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To ascertain the annual incidence and characterise the clinical features of Myasthenia gravis in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania during a ten-year period from 1st January 1988 to 31 December 1998.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cumulative registration at a major urban hospital of all patients with newly diagnosed Myasthenia gravis who were resident in Dar es salaam.
  
  
  METHODS
  Muhimbili Medical Centre Teaching Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty seven patients, twenty males, twenty seven females satisfied the criteria for the diagnosis of Myasthenia gravis (MG).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The annual incidence of MG of both sexes was 3 per 1,000,000 population of all age groups (95% CI 2.0 to 3.6). The incidence per 1,000,000 population was lowest in those aged below ten years 2.2 (95% CI 1.4 to 3.4) which was statistically significant. The incidence per 1,000,000 per year was higher in females but this was not statistically significant. The clinical presentation of MG in Tanzania was localised disease accounting for 47% ocular type and 53% was mild to moderately severe generalised type MG. Twenty per cent of patients with generalised MG presented with bulbar features. Single fibre electromyography was the most sensitive test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Myasthenia gravis is fairly rare in Tanzania as is in other sub-Saharan countries and presents in similar way to European in terms of age, sex, and clinical features. Ocular Myasthenia gravis was more prevalent in Tanzania than in Europe.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, P.O. Box 65001, Dar es Salaam.
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Matuja
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Aris
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gabone
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Mgaya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology