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Myasthenia gravis at Groote Schuur Hospital Author: an audit (1970-1990)
I have reviewed all of the available international literature on myasthenia gravis (MG) up to the end of 1989, and I have established a databank of this literature for future retrieval and publications (see Annexure 1). Myasthenia gravis is a fascinating neuromuscular disease, the specific precipit...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613928310177792 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Linton, D M |
| author2 | Philcox, Derek |
| author_browse | Linton, D M Philcox, Derek |
| author_facet | Philcox, Derek Linton, D M |
| author_sort | Linton, D M |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | I have reviewed all of the available international literature on myasthenia gravis (MG) up to the end of 1989, and I have established a databank of this literature for future retrieval and publications (see Annexure 1). Myasthenia gravis is a fascinating neuromuscular disease, the specific precipitating cause of which remains obscure after a century of clinical experience and five decades of scientific research (Simpson, 1983) The disease is specifically characterized by the development of clinically demonstrable weakness in voluntary muscle groups (Rowland, 1982). This weakness is accentuated by repetitive muscular activity and improved by resting the muscles (Simpson, 1981; Drachman, 1978). It is this feature of the disease, namely, the demonstrable fatiguability of striated muscle which tends to improve after periods of muscular inactivity and responds to the initial administration of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, which distinguishes MG from other neurological and muscular disorders (Harvard, 1973). The fundamental abnormality in the most common form of MG (adult generalized) is an immunologically mediated premature degradation of acetylcholine receptors in the neuromuscular junction (Drachman, 1978; Walton, 1981). A model of classical MG has been constructed by immunologists with the thymus featuring as the leading actor and it is on this model that current medical and surgical therapy is based (Harvard, Scadding, 1983; Engel, 1 984; Simpson, 1987; Genkins et al, 1 987). There is an abundance of clinical, pathological and immunological evidence confirming the heterogenicity of myasthenia gravis (Efthimiou, 1985; Compston et al, 1980). Many questions regarding MG remain unanswered and controversy abounds, particularly relating to the technique and timing of thymectomy and the choice of therapy in different manifestations of the disease in older patients, in children and in patients with associated diseases such as thyrotoxicosis, systemic lupus erythematosis and diabetes. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/43231 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:56.392Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine |
| publisherStr | Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/43231 Myasthenia gravis at Groote Schuur Hospital Author: an audit (1970-1990) Linton, D M Philcox, Derek myasthenia gravis MG I have reviewed all of the available international literature on myasthenia gravis (MG) up to the end of 1989, and I have established a databank of this literature for future retrieval and publications (see Annexure 1). Myasthenia gravis is a fascinating neuromuscular disease, the specific precipitating cause of which remains obscure after a century of clinical experience and five decades of scientific research (Simpson, 1983) The disease is specifically characterized by the development of clinically demonstrable weakness in voluntary muscle groups (Rowland, 1982). This weakness is accentuated by repetitive muscular activity and improved by resting the muscles (Simpson, 1981; Drachman, 1978). It is this feature of the disease, namely, the demonstrable fatiguability of striated muscle which tends to improve after periods of muscular inactivity and responds to the initial administration of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, which distinguishes MG from other neurological and muscular disorders (Harvard, 1973). The fundamental abnormality in the most common form of MG (adult generalized) is an immunologically mediated premature degradation of acetylcholine receptors in the neuromuscular junction (Drachman, 1978; Walton, 1981). A model of classical MG has been constructed by immunologists with the thymus featuring as the leading actor and it is on this model that current medical and surgical therapy is based (Harvard, Scadding, 1983; Engel, 1 984; Simpson, 1987; Genkins et al, 1 987). There is an abundance of clinical, pathological and immunological evidence confirming the heterogenicity of myasthenia gravis (Efthimiou, 1985; Compston et al, 1980). Many questions regarding MG remain unanswered and controversy abounds, particularly relating to the technique and timing of thymectomy and the choice of therapy in different manifestations of the disease in older patients, in children and in patients with associated diseases such as thyrotoxicosis, systemic lupus erythematosis and diabetes. 2026-05-19T07:23:49Z 2026-05-19T07:23:49Z 1990 2024-07-19T12:55:09Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters Masters http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43231 eng application/pdf Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | myasthenia gravis MG Linton, D M Myasthenia gravis at Groote Schuur Hospital Author: an audit (1970-1990) |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Myasthenia gravis at Groote Schuur Hospital Author: an audit (1970-1990) |
| title_full | Myasthenia gravis at Groote Schuur Hospital Author: an audit (1970-1990) |
| title_fullStr | Myasthenia gravis at Groote Schuur Hospital Author: an audit (1970-1990) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Myasthenia gravis at Groote Schuur Hospital Author: an audit (1970-1990) |
| title_short | Myasthenia gravis at Groote Schuur Hospital Author: an audit (1970-1990) |
| title_sort | myasthenia gravis at groote schuur hospital author an audit 1970 1990 |
| topic | myasthenia gravis MG |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43231 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lintondm myastheniagravisatgrooteschuurhospitalauthoranaudit19701990 |