Function and structure of the eye muscles in myasthenia gravis: novel methods to aid in diagnosis and understanding of pathophysiology

Abstract

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a neuromuscular disorder in which patients experience fluctuating and fatigable muscle weakness. Ocular muscle weakness and bulbar weakness are most common, with ocular symptoms such as double vision (diplopia) and drooping eyelids (ptosis) often being prominent. The aim was to develop new methods to improve clinical care for ocular MG patients. In this thesis, I investigated the eye muscles using muscle electrophysiology, orthoptic measurements, and quantitative MRI. I have made several advancements in the areas of diagnostics, understanding refractory ocular symptoms, and the development of objective measurements of ocular muscle weakness in MG.