Myasthenia gravis and pregnancy: retrospective evaluation of 27 pregnancies in a tertiary center and comparison with previous studies.

Abstract

To share our experience with the management of pregnancies in women with myasthenia gravis (MG) in a tertiary center. The study retrospectively evaluated 27 pregnancies in 12 patients. The pregnancies were divided into 3 groups on the basis of the clinical course of MG during pregnancy: improvement (n = 7), disease-stable (n = 9), and deterioration (n = 11). The groups were compared with respect to patient characteristics, clinical features, and obstetric outcomes. There were 4 miscarriages (14.8%), 3 preterm births (11.1%), and 4 cases of preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM) (14.8%). Exacerbation was observed in 25.9% of the cases; the remission rate during the postpartum period and after miscarriage was 37%. The cesarean section (CS) rate was 78.3%. Pregnancies with deterioration of MG were statistically more likely to have higher miscarriage, preterm birth, PPROM, CS, and transient neonatal MG rates, in addition to a lower gestational age at birth, birth weight, and 5-min Apgar score than pregnancies with improved or stable disease (p values < 0.001, 0.04, 0.03, 0.009, 0.02, < 0.001, 0.002, and 0.043, respectively). Physicians who manage pregnant women with MG must be familiar with the clinical features of the condition; a multidisciplinary approach is necessary for a better prognosis.