tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Cureus
. 2021 Jun 10;13(6):e15581.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.15581. eCollection 2021 Jun.
A Case of COVID-19 Vaccine Causing a Myasthenia Gravis Crisis
Ariana R Tagliaferri[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Spandana Narvaneni[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Moh'd Hazem Azzam[SUP] 3 [/SUP], William Grist[SUP] 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Myasthenia gravis is a rare disease of the neuromuscular junction subsequently affecting the bulbar, respiratory, and extremity skeletal muscles. It is an autoimmune disease in which antibodies target the acetylcholine receptor (AChR), preventing transmission of the excitatory cascade during muscle contraction. Myasthenia gravis is typically well controlled using acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, steroids, immunosuppressant agents, and/or thymectomies. However, exacerbations can be induced by infection or medications. This is particularly important during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in which myasthenia gravis patients have been known to have poorer outcomes. We report a very rare presentation of a myasthenia gravis crisis induced by the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
Keywords: covid-19; moderna vaccine; myasthenia gravis crisis; myasthenia gravis exacerbation; vaccination.
. 2021 Jun 10;13(6):e15581.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.15581. eCollection 2021 Jun.
A Case of COVID-19 Vaccine Causing a Myasthenia Gravis Crisis
Ariana R Tagliaferri[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Spandana Narvaneni[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Moh'd Hazem Azzam[SUP] 3 [/SUP], William Grist[SUP] 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34277203
- PMCID: PMC8272681
- DOI: 10.7759/cureus.15581
Abstract
Myasthenia gravis is a rare disease of the neuromuscular junction subsequently affecting the bulbar, respiratory, and extremity skeletal muscles. It is an autoimmune disease in which antibodies target the acetylcholine receptor (AChR), preventing transmission of the excitatory cascade during muscle contraction. Myasthenia gravis is typically well controlled using acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, steroids, immunosuppressant agents, and/or thymectomies. However, exacerbations can be induced by infection or medications. This is particularly important during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in which myasthenia gravis patients have been known to have poorer outcomes. We report a very rare presentation of a myasthenia gravis crisis induced by the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
Keywords: covid-19; moderna vaccine; myasthenia gravis crisis; myasthenia gravis exacerbation; vaccination.