[Myasthenia gravis in the frontier of psychiatric diagnosis]

Abstract

Retrospectively 20% of more than 200 patients with myasthenia gravis reported being initially diagnosed as having a psychiatric disorder. Younger women are significantly most at risk of a psychiatric misdiagnosis whereas men are more often subject to somatic misdiagnoses. The sample's mean duration of the disease was 10 years. Nevertheless misdiagnoses still coincide with higher depression scores. Depression is also related to the dosage of anticholinesteratic medication as well as to the self-reported muscular weakness. Personality assessment through an inventory reveals only slight emotional instabilities and no illness specific profiles.