- Comparison of clinical features between early-onset vs. late-onset MG, all patients.
| Variables | EOMG (n=71, 72.4%) | LOMG (n=27, 27.6%) | Total (n=98) | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | ||||
| Gender | 0.495 | |||
| Male | 29 (29.6) | 9 (9.2) | 38 (38.8) | |
| Female | 42 (42.8) | 18 (18.4) | 60 (61.2) | |
| MG classification at onset | 0.209 | |||
| Pure Ocular | 39 (39.8) | 11 (11.2) | 50 (51.0) | |
| Generalized | 32 (32.7) | 16 (16.3) | 48 (49.0) | |
| Symptoms at onset | ||||
| Ocular | 60 (61.2) | 25 (25.5) | 85 (86.7) | 0.292 |
| Fatigability | 46 (46.9) | 14 (14.3) | 60 (61.2) | 0.240 |
| Fluctuation | 34 (34.7) | 10 (10.2) | 44 (44.9) | 0.335 |
| Bulbar | 16 (16.3) | 11 (11.2) | 27 (27.5) | 0.072 |
| Facial weakness | 13 (13.3) | 6 (6.1) | 19 (19.4) | 0.662 |
| Respiratory symptoms/failure | 6 (6.1) | 2 (2.0) | 8 (8.1) | 0.866 |
| Neck weakness | 20 (20.4) | 6 (6.1) | 26 (25.6) | 0.551 |
| Limb weakness | 21 (21.4) | 8 (8.2) | 29 (29.6) | 0.996 |
| Antibody status | ||||
| AChR | 38 (38.8) | 18 (18.4) | 56 (57.1) | |
| MuSK | 2 (2.0) | 1 (1.0) | 3 (3.1) | 0.447 |
| SN | 31 (31.6) | 8 (8.2) | 39 (39.8) | |
| NCS (RNS) (n = 66) | ||||
| Positive | 34 (51.5) | 12 (18.2) | 46 (69.7) | 0.596 |
| Negative | 16 (24.2) | 4 (6.1) | 20 (30.3) | |
| CT scan of the chest (n = 69) | ||||
| Normal | 33 (47.8) | 12 (17.4) | 45 (65.2) | 0.592 |
| Abnormal (n=24) | 19 (27.5) | 5 (7.2) | 24 (34.8) | |
| Thymic hyperplasia | 12 (48.0) | 1 (4.0) | 13 (54.2) | |
| Thymoma | 5 (20.0) | 3 (12.0) | 8 (33.3) | |
| Thymic atrophy | 2 (8.0) | 1 (4.0) | 3 (12.5) | |
| Thymus pathology (n = 20) | ||||
| Thymic hyperplasia | 8 (40.0) | 3 (15.0) | 11 (55.0) | |
| Thymoma | 4 (20.0) | 2(10.0) | 6 (30.0) | 0.740 |
| Thymolipoma | 2 (10.0) | 0 | 2 (10.0) | |
| Normal thymus | 1 (5.0) | 0 | 1 (5.0) | |
| Treatment outcome(n = 58) | ||||
| Remission | 7 (12.1) | 0 | 7 (12.1) | |
| Improvement | 27 (46.6) | 15 (25.9) | 42 (72.4) | 0.165 |
| Worsening | 6 (10.3) | 3 (5.2) | 9 (15.5) | |
AChR – acetylcholine receptor, CT – computed tomography, EOMG – early onset myasthenia gravis (≤ 49 years), LOMG – late onset myasthenia gravis (> 49 years), MG – myasthenia gravis, MuSK – muscle specific tyrosine kinase, NCS – nerve conduction studies, RNS – repetitive nerve stimulation, SN - seronegative