Pre-thymectomy disease severity predicts outcome in acetylcholine receptor antibody-positive generalised myasthenia gravis.

Introduction: There are only a few studies exploring post-thymectomy outcome in patients with acetylcholine receptor antibody (AChR-Ab)-positive generalised myasthenia gravis (MG).

Objective: To assess the predictors of outcome in patients with AChR-Ab-positive generalised MG who underwent thymectomy.

Methods: A retrospective study of 53 patients from a single neuroscience centre in the UK.

Results: The mean disease duration from diagnosis was 6.2 ± 4.3 years. Pre-thymectomy, 37 patients had mild weakness affecting muscles other than ocular muscles, 11 patients had moderate weakness and 5 patients had severe weakness. 27/53 patients had thymoma. Post-thymectomy (mean duration of 5.7 ± 4.2 years), 34 patients (64%) had a good outcome characterised by Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America Post-Intervention Status of complete stable remission (no symptoms or signs of MG for at least 1 year without any therapy) or pharmacological remission (no symptoms or signs of MG with some form of therapy) or minimal manifestations (no symptoms of functional limitations from MG but weakness on examination of some muscles with or without some form of therapy) on last follow-up visit. Having thymomatous or non-thymomatous MG did not predict the outcome. The only variable that did predict outcome was pre-thymectomy disease severity; patients with mild weakness before thymectomy had a favourable outcome. We found an accuracy of 83% predicting outcome (95% confidence interval (CI) 60%, 100%) with a sensitivity of 84% (95% CI 68%, 94%) and specificity of 81% (95% CI 54%, 96%).

Conclusion: Disease severity before thymectomy predicts outcome in patients with AChR-Ab-positive generalised MG.