Abstract
BACKGROUND: Acquired neuromyotonia can occur in patients with thymoma, alone or in association with myasthenia gravis (MG), but the clinic-prognostic significance of such comorbidity is largely unknown. We investigated clinic-pathologic features, along with the occurrence of neuromyotonia as predictors of tumor recurrence in patients with thymoma-associated myasthenia.
METHODS: We retrospectively studied 268 patients with thymomatous MG. Patients with symptoms of spontaneous muscle overactivity were selected for autoantibody testing using immunohistology for neuronal cell-surface proteins and cell-based assays for CASPR2, LGI1, Glycine receptor, and Netrin-1 receptors antibodies. Neuromyotonia was diagnosed according to the presence of typical electromyography (EMG) abnormalities and/or autoantibodies against LGI1/CASPR2.
RESULTS: Overall, 33/268 (12%) MG patients had a thymoma recurrence. Five/268 (2%) had neuromyotonia, 4 with typical autoantibodies, including LGI1 (n=1), CASPR2 (n=1), or both (n=2). Three patients had Netrin-1 receptors antibodies, 2 with neuromyotonia and concomitant CASPR+LGI1 antibodies, and 1 with spontaneous muscle overactivity without EMG evidence of neuromyotonia. Thymoma recurrence was more frequent in those with (4/5, 80%) than those without (28/263, 10%, p<0.001) neuromyotonia. Neuromyotonia preceded the recurrence in 4/5 patients. In univariate analysis, predictors of thymoma recurrence were age at thymectomy (odds ratio[OR]: 0.95, 95% confidence interval[CI] 0.93-0.97), Masaoka stage ≥IIb (OR:10.73, 95%CI:2.38-48.36), and neuromyotonia (OR: 41.78, CI:4.71-370.58).
CONCLUSIONS: De novo occurrence of neuromyotonia in MG patients with previous thymomas is a rare event and may herald tumor recurrence. Neuronal autoantibodies can be helpful to assess the diagnosis. These observations provide pragmatic risk stratification for tumour vigilance in patients with thymomatous MG. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | European Journal of Neurology |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - Feb 3 2019 |
Cite this
Acquired neuromyotonia in thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis : a clinical and serological study. / Gastaldi, Matteo; De Rosa, Anna; Maestri, Michelangelo; Zardini, Elisabetta; Scaranzin, Silvia; Guida, Melania; Borrelli, Paola; Ferraro, Ottavia Eleonora; Lampasona, Vito; Furlan, Roberto; Irani, Sarosh R; Waters, Patrick; Lang, Bethan; Vincent, Angela; Marchioni, Enrico; Ricciardi, Roberta; Franciotta, Diego.
In: European Journal of Neurology, 03.02.2019.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Acquired neuromyotonia in thymoma-associated myasthenia gravis
T2 - European Journal of Neurology
AU - Gastaldi, Matteo
AU - De Rosa, Anna
AU - Maestri, Michelangelo
AU - Zardini, Elisabetta
AU - Scaranzin, Silvia
AU - Guida, Melania
AU - Borrelli, Paola
AU - Ferraro, Ottavia Eleonora
AU - Lampasona, Vito
AU - Furlan, Roberto
AU - Irani, Sarosh R
AU - Waters, Patrick
AU - Lang, Bethan
AU - Vincent, Angela
AU - Marchioni, Enrico
AU - Ricciardi, Roberta
AU - Franciotta, Diego
N1 - This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
PY - 2019/2/3
Y1 - 2019/2/3
N2 - BACKGROUND: Acquired neuromyotonia can occur in patients with thymoma, alone or in association with myasthenia gravis (MG), but the clinic-prognostic significance of such comorbidity is largely unknown. We investigated clinic-pathologic features, along with the occurrence of neuromyotonia as predictors of tumor recurrence in patients with thymoma-associated myasthenia.METHODS: We retrospectively studied 268 patients with thymomatous MG. Patients with symptoms of spontaneous muscle overactivity were selected for autoantibody testing using immunohistology for neuronal cell-surface proteins and cell-based assays for CASPR2, LGI1, Glycine receptor, and Netrin-1 receptors antibodies. Neuromyotonia was diagnosed according to the presence of typical electromyography (EMG) abnormalities and/or autoantibodies against LGI1/CASPR2.RESULTS: Overall, 33/268 (12%) MG patients had a thymoma recurrence. Five/268 (2%) had neuromyotonia, 4 with typical autoantibodies, including LGI1 (n=1), CASPR2 (n=1), or both (n=2). Three patients had Netrin-1 receptors antibodies, 2 with neuromyotonia and concomitant CASPR+LGI1 antibodies, and 1 with spontaneous muscle overactivity without EMG evidence of neuromyotonia. Thymoma recurrence was more frequent in those with (4/5, 80%) than those without (28/263, 10%, p<0.001) neuromyotonia. Neuromyotonia preceded the recurrence in 4/5 patients. In univariate analysis, predictors of thymoma recurrence were age at thymectomy (odds ratio[OR]: 0.95, 95% confidence interval[CI] 0.93-0.97), Masaoka stage ≥IIb (OR:10.73, 95%CI:2.38-48.36), and neuromyotonia (OR: 41.78, CI:4.71-370.58).CONCLUSIONS: De novo occurrence of neuromyotonia in MG patients with previous thymomas is a rare event and may herald tumor recurrence. Neuronal autoantibodies can be helpful to assess the diagnosis. These observations provide pragmatic risk stratification for tumour vigilance in patients with thymomatous MG. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
AB - BACKGROUND: Acquired neuromyotonia can occur in patients with thymoma, alone or in association with myasthenia gravis (MG), but the clinic-prognostic significance of such comorbidity is largely unknown. We investigated clinic-pathologic features, along with the occurrence of neuromyotonia as predictors of tumor recurrence in patients with thymoma-associated myasthenia.METHODS: We retrospectively studied 268 patients with thymomatous MG. Patients with symptoms of spontaneous muscle overactivity were selected for autoantibody testing using immunohistology for neuronal cell-surface proteins and cell-based assays for CASPR2, LGI1, Glycine receptor, and Netrin-1 receptors antibodies. Neuromyotonia was diagnosed according to the presence of typical electromyography (EMG) abnormalities and/or autoantibodies against LGI1/CASPR2.RESULTS: Overall, 33/268 (12%) MG patients had a thymoma recurrence. Five/268 (2%) had neuromyotonia, 4 with typical autoantibodies, including LGI1 (n=1), CASPR2 (n=1), or both (n=2). Three patients had Netrin-1 receptors antibodies, 2 with neuromyotonia and concomitant CASPR+LGI1 antibodies, and 1 with spontaneous muscle overactivity without EMG evidence of neuromyotonia. Thymoma recurrence was more frequent in those with (4/5, 80%) than those without (28/263, 10%, p<0.001) neuromyotonia. Neuromyotonia preceded the recurrence in 4/5 patients. In univariate analysis, predictors of thymoma recurrence were age at thymectomy (odds ratio[OR]: 0.95, 95% confidence interval[CI] 0.93-0.97), Masaoka stage ≥IIb (OR:10.73, 95%CI:2.38-48.36), and neuromyotonia (OR: 41.78, CI:4.71-370.58).CONCLUSIONS: De novo occurrence of neuromyotonia in MG patients with previous thymomas is a rare event and may herald tumor recurrence. Neuronal autoantibodies can be helpful to assess the diagnosis. These observations provide pragmatic risk stratification for tumour vigilance in patients with thymomatous MG. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
U2 - 10.1111/ene.13922
DO - 10.1111/ene.13922
M3 - Article
JO - European Journal of Neurology
JF - European Journal of Neurology
SN - 1351-5101
ER -