Some patients with Graves' disease will show diffuse thymic hyperplasia.
Clinical features:
(1) signs and symptoms of Graves' disease (thyrotoxicosis)
(2) presence of diffuse thymic hyperplasia
(3) variable myopathy with fluctuating limb weakness
In this setting the myopathy may represent either:
(1) thyrotoxic myopathy (pseudo-myasthenia)
(2) true myasthenia gravis
Medical therapy of the thyrotoxicosis results in regression of thymic hyperplasia and improvement in muscle symptoms. In true myasthenia the muscle weakness persist or get worse.
To read more or access our algorithms and calculators, please log in or register.
