Question

Case Scenario: A 45-year-old woman presents with a drooping left eye, has fallen four times in the last month, and complains of weakness in her neck such that at times “it feels like my head is so heavy.” She has no prior health problems and has played tennis since she was a teen. She has no children and is married. She states her marriage is strong and they have an active church life. In the last six months, she has had multiple bouts of pneumonia that appear to resolve with antibiotics.

Question: Using these symptoms, what will the doctor likely do to evaluate this patient

Answer 1

From the signs and symptoms, physician will evaluate the patient for myesthenia gravis. It is an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder in which patient develops weakness of voluntary muscles. For confirmation, physician will conduct physical and neurological examination to check muscle tone, strength, coordination and look for impairment in eyes

an endrophonium test may be conducted to briefly relieve the symptoms if those are because of myasthenia gravis.

a blood test will be done to check acetylcholine receptor antibodies which are abnormally high in myasthenia gravis