title: Health-related quality of life in patients with myasthenia gravis and the relationship between patient-oriented assessment and conventional measurements.
abstract: We assessed the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) and correlated it with the physician's measurements of MG. Patients with MG were evaluated by means of (1) self-administered questionnaires, (2) clinical examination, (3) Osserman classification, (4) anti-AChR antibody, and (5) neurophysiology. Relationships between patient-oriented assessment and conventional clinical-neurophysiological and serological findings were evaluated. A total of 46 patients, inpatients and outpatients (mean age 50.7 years, range 11-77 years, 17 males, 29 females) with MG diagnosis were studied. The Osserman scale and clinical examination findings were significantly related to the physical aspects of HRQoL. Mental aspects of the quality of life were not progressively involved as muscle deficit progressed, but even in a mild clinical picture, the mental aspects were deteriorated. Patient-oriented measures proved that the patient's quality of life was impaired especially with regard to physical aspects. Our data demonstrated that clinical measurements are related to the HRQoL. The results may be useful in developing a disease-specific patient-oriented tool.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Cattolic University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Padua
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Evoli
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aprile
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caliandro
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mazza
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Padua
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tonali
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D013934:Thymectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data