Rapid improvement of muscle weakness post-thymectomy indicates good long-term neurological outcome in patients with ocular myasthenia gravis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate whether post-thymectomy rapid remission of ocular myasthenia gravis (oMG) is a prognostic indicator of good long-term neurological outcome.

METHODS

Eighty-four oMG patients who underwent thymectomy at our institute were enrolled. The incidence of 5-year complete stable remission (CSR) was compared between patients with rapid remission of MG status (<1 month after surgery) and those with non-rapid remission.

RESULTS

Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that the incidence of CSR was higher in oMG patients with rapid remission than in those without rapid remission (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that rapid remission (odds ratio 16.34, 95% confidence interval 3.58-74.60, P < 0.001) is an independent prognostic factor for CSR.

CONCLUSION

Postoperative rapid remission of MG status predicts a higher likelihood of complete remission in patients with oMG.