:: Volume 8, Issue 1 (Int J Mol Cell Med 2019) ::
Int J Mol Cell Med 2019, 8(1): 90-93 Back to browse issues page
Thymolipoma-associated Myasthenia Gravis with High Titer of Anti-MuSKAb: A Case Report
Maryam Poursadeghfard 1, Amin Abolhasani Foroughi2 , Sina Karamimagham3
1- Clinical Neurology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. , poursadra@gmail.com
2- Medical Imaging Research Center, Department of Radiology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
3- Specialty in neonatology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Abstract:   (4626 Views)
Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a neuromuscular junction disorder caused by pathogenic autoantibodies to some parts of the post-synaptic muscle endplates. About 85% of generalized MG patients have autoantibodies against post-synaptic acetyl-choline receptors (AChR). From the 10-15% of the remaining patients, 45-50% are positive for Muscle Specific Tyrosine Kinase-Antibody (MuSK-Ab). It is believed that the thymus has a critical role in the pathogenesis of the disease with AChR-Ab, especially in patients with thymic abnormalities. In contrast, the role of thymus gland in MG with anti-MuSK-Ab is not clearly obvious. Patients with this antibody virtually have normal or only minimal follicular hyperplastic thymus. The presence of anti-MuSK Ab in a thymolipomatous (an uncommon tumor of thymus) MG is an atypical and new finding of MG because of not only thymolipoma but also presence of anti-MuSK antibodies which makes this case different from the previous reports of the antibodies-associated MG.  Here, we present a young woman with thymolipoma and MG (a very uncommon kind of tumor-associated MG) and high level of anti-MuSK-Ab.
Keywords: Myasthenia gravis, thymolipoma, anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody, anti-Muscle Specific Tyrosine Kinase-Antibody
Full-Text [PDF 89 kb]   (1539 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Case Report | Subject: Biomarkers (diagnosis & treatment)
Received: 2019/03/5 | Accepted: 2019/06/15 | Published: 2019/12/6



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Volume 8, Issue 1 (Int J Mol Cell Med 2019) Back to browse issues page