Myasthenia Gravis Specialists in Delhi

What is Myasthenia Gravis?

Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune disorder in which the body's immune system mistakenly produces antibodies that block or damage the connection between nerves and muscles, impairing the normal transmission of signals needed for muscle contraction. This disruption at the neuromuscular junction leads to a characteristic pattern of muscle weakness that worsens with repeated use or activity and improves with rest, distinguishing it from many other causes of muscle weakness. The condition most commonly affects muscles controlling eye movement and eyelid position first, though it can progress to involve muscles responsible for facial expression, swallowing, speech, and, in more severe cases, breathing. Myasthenia gravis can affect people of any age but shows a bimodal pattern, more commonly diagnosed in younger women and older men. While there is no cure, a range of treatments can effectively control symptoms for most patients, allowing many to lead active, largely normal lives, though careful management of potential severe flares remains important.

Causes of Myasthenia Gravis

Caused by an autoimmune process in which the body's immune system produces antibodies that attack proteins involved in transmitting nerve signals to muscles at the neuromuscular junction. The exact trigger for this abnormal immune response is not fully understood, though the thymus gland, an organ involved in immune system development, is often abnormal in people with the condition and is sometimes associated with a thymus tumour. The condition is not directly inherited, though a genetic predisposition to autoimmune conditions in general may play a contributing role.

Symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis

Drooping eyelids, double vision, weakness that worsens with activity and improves with rest, difficulty chewing or swallowing, slurred speech, weakness in the arms, legs, or neck, difficulty breathing in severe cases, fatigue affecting facial expression

Treatment & Types of Myasthenia Gravis in Delhi

Treatment includes medications that improve communication between nerves and muscles, such as pyridostigmine, alongside immunosuppressive medications to reduce the underlying antibody-mediated attack on the neuromuscular junction. For more severe or difficult-to-control cases, treatments such as plasma exchange or intravenous immunoglobulin can provide more rapid symptom control during severe flares. Surgical removal of the thymus gland is often recommended for appropriate candidates, as it can lead to significant improvement or remission in some patients.

Myasthenia gravis is classified as ocular, when weakness is confined to the muscles controlling eye movement and eyelid position, or generalized, when it progresses to involve muscles of facial expression, swallowing, speech, limbs, and, in severe cases, breathing. A subtype called MuSK-antibody myasthenia gravis involves a different antibody target and can have a somewhat different symptom pattern and treatment response.

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