Ocular myasthenia gravis

Abstract

Myasthenia gravis may be limited solely to the eyes (ocular myasthenia) or may have systemic manifestations (generalized myasthenia). Most patients display blepharoptosis or ophthalmoparesis, resulting in diplopia, but the ocular motility disorder may take many forms. The diagnosis is often elucidated by variable muscle weakness with fatigability noted in the history and on examination. The ice test has supplanted the need for the edrophonium (Tensilon) test in many cases of ocular myasthenia. Therapy may be challenging, because many ocular myasthenics do not achieve significant clinical improvement with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors alone. Immunomodulatory treatment,such as systemic corticosteroids, is frequently effective, and emerging data suggest that this type of therapy may reduce the likelihood of ocular myasthenia becoming generalized.