Late-onset myasthenia gravis is predisposed to become generalized in the elderly

Abstract Objective The continuous increase in the number of patients presenting with late-onset myasthenia gravis (LOMG) underscores the need for a better understanding of the clinical course and the establishment of an optimal therapeutic strategy. We aimed to clarify factors associated with clinical outcomes in LOMG. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical profiles of 40 patients with early-onset MG (EOMG) (onset age: 49years or younger), 30 patients with non-elderly LOMG (onset age: 50–64years), and 28 patients with elderly LOMG (onset age: 65years or older) and compared the subgroups according to onset age and thymus status. The evaluated parameters were MGFA classification before treatment, MG-ADL score, complicating diseases, antibody titer, treatment, and MGFA post-intervention status. Results Elderly LOMG patients showed transition to generalized symptoms at a higher frequency and underwent thymectomy less frequently than EOMG and non-elderly LOMG patients ( p p P Conclusions Our study showed that elderly LOMG patients are more prone to severity, suggesting that they require aggressive immunomodulatory therapy.