Use of therapeutic plasmapheresis in patients with generalized myasthenia during exacerbations in the late period following thymectomy
Marchuk, A.I.; Golovteev, V.V.; Sapin, S.M.; Shagal, D.I.
Zhurnal Nevropatologii i Psikhiatrii Imeni S.S. Korsakova 86(3): 330-333
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0044-4588 PMID: 3705836 Document Number: 279380
In ten patients with generalized myasthenia in whom disease exacerbation was noted long after thymectomy the authors employed a multiple modality treatment including therapeutic plasmapheresis (TP). The treatment was monitored by examining the status of neuromuscular transmission and parameters of external respiration, as well as the levels of immunoglobulins. It has been shown that the inclusion of TP into the complex of therapeutic measures in the given category of patients makes it possible to arrest quickly and to a considerable degree the clinical manifestations of an exacerbation, to increase the reliability of neuromuscular transmission and decrease doses of anticholinesterase drugs.