Ocular myasthenia gravis: Case report and literature review

Myasthenia gravis, a disorder involving striated muscles in various parts of the body, clinically presents as generalized weakness especially after exertion. A diagnosis of myasthenia gravis may be missed in patients presenting with ptosis without associated musculoskeletal weakness. We report a case of ocular myasthenia gravis in a 6-year-old girl whose only symptoms were bilateral ptosis and diplopia. Both worsened with exertion but there was no associated weakness of any other part of the body. A neostigmine test resulted in marked improvement in the patient’s ptosis thus confirming the diagnosis of ocular myasthenia gravis. It is concluded that ocular myasthenia gravis, though rare, may occur in children. Health workers should be aware of the possibility of this disease among pediatric age group.