title: Clinical profile of patients with myasthenia gravis followed at the University Hospital, Federal University of Minas Gerais.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to determine the clinical profile of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG); followed at the Neuromuscular Diseases Clinic of the University Hospital, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and to compare it with other Brazilian case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  sociodemographic and clinical data were collected from patients, and a systematic literature review performed, focusing on national studies on the clinical profile of MG patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  sixty nine patients were enrolled in the study. Fifty five (91%) subjects were female and the mean age (SD) was 37.6 (± 11.4) years. The mean disease duration was 14.1 years. Regarding treatment, prednisone was the most used strategy (64%), followed by the use of azathioprine (43%). There was no difference between thymectomized (42) and non-thymectomized (27) patients regarding disease severity and medication use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  clinical and socio-demographic features of this MG sample from a University-based clinic resemble those reported in other Brazilian series and in the international literature.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Aline Mansueto
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mourão
authors.affiliation: Neurology Service, Clinics Hospital, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Sérgio Mageste
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.affiliation: Neurology Service, Clinics Hospital, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elizabeth Regina
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Comini-Frota
authors.affiliation: Neurology Service, Clinics Hospital, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Denise da Silva
authors.initials: Dda S
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: Neurology Service, Clinics Hospital, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Santiago
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
authors.forename: Ted M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Stela Maris Aguiar
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.affiliation: Medical School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Antonio Lúcio
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Teixeira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013934:Thymectomy; D055815:Young Adult