Prognosis of ocular myasthenia in childhood

Abstract

The good long-term prognosis in nine myasthenic children (seven with 'juvenile' myasthenia and two with 'familial' myasthenia) are described. Seven children with the juvenile type showed a time-limited course of the disease even without therapy. One patient under observation for 26 years, showed only one further recurrence of the symptoms after a period of 13 years. Four patients had no relapses at all for many years. Thymectomy was performed only in one patient with a recurrence of myasthenic pareses after a symptom-free interval of 10'/: years. In contrast to these children the two girls with 'familial' myasthenia showed a chronic, non-fluctuating course of ocular pareses from early childhood.

Key Words:

• ocular myasthenia
• childhood prognosis