# Clinical Characteristics and Treatment of Juvenile Myasthenia Gravis—A Single-Center Experience

## TL;DR

This study examines the treatment and clinical features of juvenile myasthenia gravis, finding that long-term medication is often needed without severe side effects.

## Contribution

The study provides insights into treatment duration and safety in juvenile myasthenia gravis patients.

## Key findings

- Most patients required treatment for at least 33 months, with some needing up to 99 months.
- No severe adverse effects requiring hospitalization were observed during treatment.
- Ocular MG was more common than generalized MG in the studied population.

## Abstract

Juvenile myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune neuromuscular disease, often treated with anticholinesterases, corticosteroids, and immunosuppressants. However, optimal treatment durations remain unclear. This study investigated the clinical characteristics and treatment of juvenile MG, including medication duration. The administration period for all drugs, immunosuppressants, and prednisolone at doses greater than 0.35 mg/kg daily was extracted retrospectively from medical records. Nineteen participants (8 boys, 11 girls) aged 8 months to 14 years (median, 2.5 years) at onset were identified. Fourteen patients (73.7%) had ocular MG and five (26.3%) had generalized MG. Drug treatment was conducted in 18 cases; however, 7 patients did not complete the treatment. Among the patients who completed drug treatment, the duration of treatment ranged from 11 to 100 months (median, 47 months). In the six patients treated with continuous administration of prednisolone or immunosuppressants, the treatment duration ranged from 33 to 99 months (median, 56 months). No severe adverse effects requiring hospitalization were reported. The patients treated with prednisolone or immunosuppressants required at least 33 months of treatment. These results will help develop protocols for juvenile MG treatment.