Inflammatory myopathy associated with myasthenia gravis with and without thymic pathology: Report of four cases and literature review

Publication date: Available online 13 April 2017
Source:Autoimmunity Reviews
Author(s): Ernestina Santos, Ester Coutinho, Ana Martins da Silva, António Marinho, Carlos Vasconcelos, Ricardo Taipa, Manuel Melo Pires, Guilherme Gonçalves, Carlos Lopes, Maria Isabel Leite
Introductionthe association of myasthenia gravis (MG) and inflammatory myopathy is rare and often only one of the diseases is diagnosed. Thymus pathology may be in the origin of such disease association.Methodswe described four patients with both MG and inflammatory myopathy.Resultsthese cases correspond to 2.3% of our MG cohort. Case 1: MG, polymyositis and thymolipoma; case 2: MG and necrotizing myopathy without thymic pathology on a background of scleroderma, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, telangiectasia (CREST); case 3: MG and dermatomyositis without thymic pathology; case 4: MG and dermatomyositis with type C thymoma.Discussionthe recognition of these neuromuscular co-morbidities contributes to (i) understanding their pathogenic mechanisms, (ii) developing better management approaches and (iii) further improving disease outcomes.



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