Myasthenia gravis, thymoma, intestinal pseudo-obstruction, and neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antibody
✍ Scribed by Ravi Pande; A. Arturo Leis
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1999
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 99 KB
- Volume
- 22
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0148-639X
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✦ Synopsis
Intestinal pseudo-obstruction occurs rarely in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) and thymoma. The etiology of the intestinal pseudo-obstruction remains to be elucidated, although an autoimmune mechanism is postulated. We present the first report of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR)-specific antibody in a patient with seropositive MG, malignant thymoma, and intestinal pseudo-obstruction. This finding provides evidence that intestinal pseudo-obstruction associated with thymoma and possibly other neoplasms may be related to antibodies against the neuronal nicotinic receptors at autonomic ganglia.