Epidemiology and 10-year clinical care of juvenile myasthenia gravis in England: a retrospective cohort study
Abbasi, Ali Bonar, Kerina Zaremba, Piotr Scowcroft, Anna Nilius, Sigrid Tennigkeit, Frank Jacob, Saiju Ramdas, Sithara
Abbasi, Ali
Bonar, Kerina
Zaremba, Piotr
Scowcroft, Anna
Nilius, Sigrid
Tennigkeit, Frank
Jacob, Saiju
Ramdas, Sithara
Affiliation
UCB; University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust; University of Birmingham; University of Oxford; John Radcliffe Hospital
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Publication date
2025-03-31
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Abstract
Background: Published evidence is limited on the clinical burden of juvenile myasthenia gravis (JMG). We aimed to assess epidemiology and the clinical characteristics of JMG in England.
Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with newly diagnosed JMG identified in England via primary care and hospital data between 2010 and 2019.
Results: 32 children (aged 2-17 years) with newly diagnosed JMG were included. Prevalence of JMG ranged from 2.2 (95% CI 1.5 to 3.1) in 2012 to 2.5 (95% CI 1.8 to 3.4) per 100 000 in 2018. The annual incidence ranged from 0.8 (95% CI 0.1 to 5.7) in 2015 to 3.8 (95% CI 1.6 to 9.0) per million per year in 2017. Incidence fluctuated in females from 1.6 (95% CI 0.2 to 11.3) in 2016 to 6 (95% CI 2.3 to 16.1) per million per year in 2018. Overall, 20 patients received first acetylcholinesterase inhibitors or corticosteroids with no prior therapy during the study period. During the follow-up period (median, 3.3 years), 17 patients (53.1%) with JMG experienced a hospitalisation. No deaths were observed.
Conclusions: This study confirms the rarity of JMG in England, with steady incidence and prevalence rates over a decade. Further research is required to assess unmet needs in JMG therapy and the importance of effective treatments for this condition.
Citation
Abbasi A, Bonar K, Zaremba P, Scowcroft A, Nilius S, Tennigkeit F, Jacob S, Ramdas S. Epidemiology and 10-year clinical care of juvenile myasthenia gravis in England: a retrospective cohort study. BMJ Neurol Open. 2025 Mar 31;7(1):e001000. doi: 10.1136/bmjno-2024-001000.
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Article