Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Case Report

The efficacy of eculizumab against post-thymectomy exacerbations in thymoma associated myasthenia gravis (MG)

Eriko Takeuchi, M.D.1), Yuta Kajiyama, M.D.1)3), Koshiro Ando, M.D.2)4), Soichiro Funaki, M.D., Ph.D.2), Tatsusada Okuno, M.D., Ph.D.1), Yasushi Shintani, M.D., Ph.D.2) and Hideki Mochizuki, M.D., Ph.D.1)

1) Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine
2) Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine
3) Department of Neurology, Sakai City Medical Center
4) Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Osaka Habikino Medical Center

We report a 62-year-old woman with thymoma associated myasthenia gravis (MG). She had significant dysphagia and was treated with corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), immunoadsorption plasmapheresis (IAPP), and immunosuppressive drugs, and the extended thymectomy. Her symptoms gradually improved, but 3 weeks after thymectomy, her bulbar symptoms recurred. Although she was treated with repeated IVIG and IAPP, her symptom remained. Finally, after starting eculizumab did her symptoms go into complete remission. This case suggests the efficacy of anti-complement therapy for postoperative exacerbation of MG.
Full Text of this Article in Japanese PDF (971K)

(CLINICA NEUROL, 62: 277|280, 2022)
key words: myasthenia gravis, thymoma, anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody, complement, eculizumab

(Received: 10-Aug-21)