How is myasthenia gravis treated?

  The clinical manifestations of myasthenia gravis are mainly fluctuating weakness of the affected skeletal muscles, which is aggravated by activity and improved after rest, and may be “light in the morning and heavy in the evening”.  Ancillary tests: positive neostigmine test; EMG with more than 10% attenuation of low frequency repetitive electrical stimulation and no increment in high frequency; positive or negative serum AChR antibody.  Clinical typing (Osserman): I oculomotor type, IIA mild generalized type, IIB moderate generalized type, III acute severe type, IV late severe type, V myasthenia gravis.  Treatment options 1. cholinesterase inhibitors.  2.Adrenocorticosteroids: All types of myasthenia gravis are applicable.  To date, glucocorticoids are still the main drug for the treatment of this disease and are cost-effective. Once the specialist recommends the addition of hormones according to the patient’s condition, the patient needs to pay attention to the following issues: ① More than 50% of patients with systemic type may have transient symptom aggravation in the early stage of high-dose hormone application (within 7-10 days), which usually lasts for about 1 week, and the patient needs to understand and prepare for this; ② Long-term hormone use requires calcium supplementation, and those who take large doses also need potassium supplementation, and those who have gastric discomfort need to be combined with gastric protective agents. ③ Hormones should be taken once a day in the morning to reduce the impact on endocrine secretion.  3.Other immunosuppressants: Applicable to those with poor hormone efficacy or intolerant.  4.High-dose intravenous immunoglobulin: used in the critical phase, preparation for thymectomy or adjuvant treatment of refractory myasthenia gravis.  5.Plasma exchange: for the critical phase, preparation for thymectomy or adjuvant treatment of refractory myasthenia gravis.  6.Thymectomy: for generalized type patients with thymic hyperplasia, preferred for females; for all types of patients with thymoma; for generalized type over 18 years of age with insignificant effect of drug treatment.  Checkups during hospitalization 1. urgent checkups: routine blood, electrolytes (including blood sugar), four coagulation items; 2. mandatory checkups: routine urine, routine stool, liver and kidney function, blood lipids, blood sedimentation, thyroid function, blood gas analysis (optional according to the condition), five immune items + three rheumatic items (immune complete set + anti-nuclear antibody profile), infectious disease screening (hepatitis B, C (hepatitis complete set), syphilis, AIDS, etc.) Tumor indicators, etc.; thymus CT (plain + enhanced), electrocardiogram, full chest X-ray; electromyography + nerve conduction velocity + heavy frequency electrical stimulation (low frequency, high frequency).  3.Optional items: AChR antibody (and anti-synaptic presynaptic membrane antibody, connexin antibody) test.  4.Selective cranial and spinal MRI, MRA, etc. if needed for differential diagnosis.  Select medication (treatment plan) 1.Cholinesterase inhibitors: bromipyridamole (dose from 60mg tid to 180mg qid depending on the condition), etc.  2, adrenal glucocorticoids: (1) shock therapy (methylprednisolone 0, 5-1g IV qd after every three days to reduce the amount of half, to 60mg when changed to prednisone oral, after still every three days to reduce half to stop.) (2) small dose incremental method (prednisone 20mg qod weekly increase of 10mg to 80mg qod or symptom improvement.) .  3, immunosuppressants: can use azathioprine (50mg / d starting gradually increase the amount to 100-200mg / d, a total of 10g for a course of treatment.) (1g of cyclophosphamide (1g IV every 5 days, total 10g for a course of treatment.) Cyclosporine (4mg/(kg, d) divided into two doses, 3-12 months as a course of treatment.) , tacrolimus, etc.  4, high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (0, 4g/(kg, d) IV, for 5 days.) .  5.Plasma purification therapy 6.Related drugs for symptomatic treatment and prevention of complications: calcium supplementation, potassium supplementation, gastric mucosal protective agents, etc.