RT Book, Section
A1 Pasnoor, Mamatha
A1 Dimachkie, Mazen M.
A1 Farmakidis, Constantine
A1 Barohn, Richard J.
A2 Mitra, Raj
SR Print(0)
ID 1182782953
T1 Disorders of the Neuromuscular Junction: Myasthenia Gravis
T2 Principles of Rehabilitation Medicine
YR 2019
FD 2019
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9780071793339
LK accessphysiotherapy.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1182782953
RD 2024/04/23
AB Disorders  affecting  the  neuromuscular  junction  (NMJ)  are  generally  pure  motor  syndromes  that  usually  affect  the  extraocular  muscles  but  also  the  proximal  limb  and  bulbar  or  respiratory  function.  They  can  be  classified  into  autoimmune,  acquired,  toxic,  and  inherited  disorders  of  the  NMJ.  The  most  common  NMJ  disorders  are  autoimmune  and  therefore  respond  to  immunosuppressive  therapy.  These  include  myasthenia  gravis  (MG)  and,  rarely,  the  Lambert-Eaton  myasthenic  syndrome  (LEMS).  A  number  of  genetically  determined  disorders  of  neuromuscular  transmission,  the  congenital  myasthenic  syndromes,  are  seen  in  childhood  but  may  rarely  present  in  adult  life.  Botulism  is  a  toxin-mediated  disorder  of  the  NMJ.  All  NMJ  disorders  cause  generalized  weakness  and  fatigability  with  a  propensity  for  oculobulbar  involvement.  Electrophysiologic  studies  can  detect  an  impairment  of  neuromuscular  transmission  in  most  of  these  disorders.1  Fortunately,  most  of  these  disorders  are  treatable2–4  (Fig.  74–1).