A Case of Myasthenia Gravis after Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 19(1); 2001 > Article

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 2001;19(1): 60-61.

동종 골수이식 후 발생한 중증근무력증 1예

김중석, 양동원이고석범이박성경이김범생

가톨릭대학교 의과대학 신경과학교실

A Case of Myasthenia Gravis after Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation

Joong-Seok Kim, M.D., Dong-Won Yang, M.D., Seok-beum Ko, M.D., Soung-Kyeong Park, M.D., Beum-Saeng Kim, M.D.

Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea

Abstract

A 38-year-old woman, affected by chronic myeloid leukemia, received a BMT from his HLA identical brother. A mild acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) developed during the first month after the BMT. A typical clinical and electrophysiological feature of myasthenia gravis (MG) developed 3 months after the BMT requiring medication with pyridostigmine and steroids. Laboratory findings including acetylcholine receptor antibody and other autoantibodies were negative. MG is a well-characterized autoimmune disease which, on rare occasions, is also diagnosed as chronic GVHD after BMT. We report a first case of MG during an acute GVHD period. Since the patient had a myasthenic symptom during an acute GVHD period and no evidence of antibody mediated autoimmunity, this is likely to be an immune complication of acute GVHD.J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(1):60~61, 2001Key Words : Bone marrow transplantation, Acute graft-versus-host disease, Myasthenia gravis