Stiff-man syndrome associated with antecedent myasthenia gravis and organ-specific autoimmunopathy

Abstract

We describe a case of stiff-man syndrome accompanied by diabetes mellitus, Hashimoto's thyroiditis and the antecedent myasthenia gravis. The diagnosis of stiff-man syndrome was made based on not only clinical findings and the characteristic electromyographic pattern but also the presence of antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Stiff-man syndrome is known to be associated with organ-specific autoimmunopathy including insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The present case is the first one that stiff-man syndrome was preceded by myasthenia gravis of organ-specific autoimmunopathy. Stiff-man syndrome in the present case probably represents the one of fully expressed manifestations from the broad spectrum of organ-specific autoimmunopathy caused by the loss of self-tolerance.