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Pancreatic Cancer in a Patient with Myasthenia Gravis

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Abstract

Myasthenia gravis has been associated with several diseasessuch as hyperthyroidism and malignancy (thymoma,lung carcinoma) but so far no reports have demonstrated arelationship between this disease and pancreatic disease.We report a 66-year-old man with myasthenia gravis diagnosedon the basis of clinical symptoms (eyelid ptosis),typical abnormalities on repetitive nerve-stimulation tests,and the presence of Ach-R antibodies in the serum. The responseto anticholinesterasic agents (pyridostigmine) wasgood, but after 1 year, he developed pancreatic cancer andmyasthenia gravis symptoms recurred. After surgery andchemotherapy, myasthenia gravis symptoms disappeared.Some months later, the patient had a recurrence of pancreaticcancer after relapse of myasthenia gravis.

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Patti, R., Natalè, E. & Maringhini, A. Pancreatic Cancer in a Patient with Myasthenia Gravis. Dig Dis Sci 49, 990–991 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:DDAS.0000034559.80052.02

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:DDAS.0000034559.80052.02

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