Related Experiment Videos
[Dysphagia and dysarthria: unusual presentation of Myasthenia Gravis]
Sara Ferreira1, Pedro Lage, Isabel Claro
1Serviços de Gastrenterologia e de Neurologia, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa, Serviço de Neurologia, Hospital de São José, Lisboa.
Abstract:
Myasthenia Gravis is an autoimmune disorder that generally presents with ocular symptoms, specially diplopia and ptosis. Dysphagia may be a manifestation of the generalised type of the disease, but rarely is its presenting feature. The authors describe a case of Myasthenia Gravis in an old patient complaining of dysphagia and dysarthria. Because Myasthenia Gravis is a potentially serious but treatable disease, we emphasize the need to consider it in the differential diagnosis of dysphagia, namely in the elderly. In fact, the disorder is probably underdiagnosed in this population group, because clinicians tend to accept other more frequent diagnosis to explain these symptoms.
Related Concept Videos
Myasthenia Gravis: Overview and Treatment
These antibodies interfere with the function of the nicotinic receptors in three ways: by binding to the receptor and disrupting acetylcholine binding; by causing cross-linking of receptors which leads...
Myasthenia Gravis: Diagnostic Tests
The edrophonium test is a diagnostic tool for myasthenia gravis. It involves...
Myasthenia Gravis ll: Pathophysiology
Disorders of the Skeletal Muscle
Musculoskeletal disorders
Musculoskeletal disorders involve injuries and conditions affecting the skeletal muscles and associated connective tissues. These disorders can arise from acute biomechanical stresses or chronic overuse and can occur across different age groups. Common injuries include sprains, fractures, and muscular strains, often resulting from...
Esophageal Achalasia
Chemical Synapses
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...