MG+Diagnosis+and+Treatment

Diagnosis A method to confirm MG is through an injection of the drug edrophonium chloride. This temporarily blocks the breakdown of ACh and relieves the muscle weakness. A second method is to use single fiber electromyography (EMG) to detect the responses or lack of, while nerve stimulation is tested with small surges of electricity ([] accessed Dec 2013). Since MG patients do not respond well to these tests, it is a good indicator of the disease’s presence.

In lab settings, neuromuscular junctions are injected with particular probes that light up in different colors if a particular antibody is there. Treatment A neurologist determines which treatment is best for a patient depending on individual's age and overall medical history. Myasthenia gravis can generally be controlled through several therapies available. To increase muscle strength, anticholinesterase medications like neostigmine and pyridostigmine are taken ([] accessed Dec 2013). Corticosteroids are intended for short term use ([] accessed Nov 2013), since the body can get used to their presence and stop making them. Long-term immunosuppression treatment drugs for MG are usually azathioprine, cyclosporine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab. All of these have shown either improvement of symptoms or even remission (Pal, Jozsef et al., 2011).

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