MYASTHENIA GRAVIS EVALUATION

Myasthenia Gravis is a disorder in which normal communication between the nerve and muscle is interrupted at the neuromuscular junction.

Normally when impulses travel down the nerve, the nerve endings release a neurotransmitter substance called acetylcholine, which results in the activation of muscle contraction.

In Myasthenia Gravis, the receptors for acetylcholine at the muscle surface are destroyed by antibodies that prevent the normal reaction from occurring. These antibodies are produced by the patient's own immune system.

The symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis often consist of muscle fatigability later in the day after being repetitively exercised. There may be difficulty in eye movement which can results in double vision or droopy eyelids. Fatigue of throat muscles result in swallowing difficulties and choking, and fatigue of the speech muscles result in slurred and sometime unintelligible speech. Myasthenia Gravis does not affect the patient's mental capacity.