Comparative clinical features in patients with myasthenia gravis with systemic lupus erythematosus

The occurrence of myasthenia gravis (MG) with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) seems to be more common than random association alone would predict. Moreover, both share immunologic aspects, tissue-directed antibodies and T and B cell abnormalities. To our knowledge, 7 cases of MG in association with SLE have been reported in the English literature in the last 15 yr; in 6 of the 7 cases, MG preceded the SLE; in only 1 reported case and in our case, SLE preceded the MG. The disease that develops later predominates in the prognosis for each patient.