This article is only available in the PDF format. Download the PDF to view the article, as well as its associated figures and tables.
This symposium presents in concise form most (18 of 20) of the papers read at the Second International Congress on Myasthenia Gravis held at the Medical School of the University of Pennsylvania in December, 1954. As such, it is an excellent summary of progress in our understanding of this interesting disorder of neuromuscular transmission. Such a detailed analysis appearing in a medical journal written chiefly for internists would seem to be adequately justified by the following considerations: (1) There are estimated to be about 50,000 cases of myasthenia gravis in the United States alone, many undiagnosed, with an over-all mortality rate of 10%; (2) a variety of medicines are available for treatment, and (3) the specific indications for elective thymectomy are coming into clearer focus.
Following a review of the major clinical aspects of the disease, there appear a series of papers by leading investigators in the field. These include