Nationwide Population-Based Epidemiological Study of Myasthenia Gravis in Taiwan

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the epidemiology and medical expenses of myasthenia gravis (MG) in Taiwan. Methods: Cases of MG were identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database with corresponding codes of the International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision (ICD-9), from January 2000 to December 2007. Age- and sex-specific incidences were estimated by dividing the incidence number by population data obtained from the Department of Statistics, Ministry of the Interior. Results: During the study period, 5,211 cases were identified. The incidence ratio of males to females was 0.68. The average annual incidence rate was 2.1/100,000. MG occurred in all age groups with a higher incidence in older individuals and the lowest incidence in the 10- to 14-year-olds for both sexes. Among the 5,211 cases, 615 (12%) had a neoplasm of the thymus. The prevalence increased steadily during the study period from 8.4/100,000 in 2000 to 14.0/ 100,000 in 2007. Conclusions: This is the first population-based epidemiological study of MG in Taiwan. The incidence rate and prevalence were higher than in most published studies, especially in old age groups.

[1]  H. Tseng,et al.  Population‐based epidemiologic study of Wilson’s disease in Taiwan , 2010, European journal of neurology.

[2]  A. McGrogan,et al.  The Incidence of Myasthenia Gravis: A Systematic Literature Review , 2010, Neuroepidemiology.

[3]  H. Tseng,et al.  Population-Based Epidemiological Study of Neurological Diseases in Taiwan: I. Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and Multiple Sclerosis , 2009, Neuroepidemiology.

[4]  H. Tseng,et al.  Epidemiology and Medical Expenses of Motor Neuron Diseases in Taiwan , 2008, Neuroepidemiology.

[5]  M. Pagala,et al.  Lifetime course of myasthenia gravis , 2008, Muscle & nerve.

[6]  Min Zhang,et al.  Clinical and serological study of myasthenia gravis in HuBei Province, China , 2006, Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

[7]  F. Somnier.  Increasing incidence of late-onset anti–AChR antibody–seropositive myasthenia gravis , 2005, Neurology.

[8]  A. Nakamura,et al.  Increase in incidence of elderly-onset patients with myasthenia gravis in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. , 2005, Internal medicine.

[9]  D. Sanders,et al.  Myasthenia gravis: diagnosis. , 2004, Seminars in neurology.

[10]  J. Jakobsen,et al.  A population based epidemiological study on myasthenia gravis in Estonia , 2003, Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.

[11]  P. Rothwell,et al.  Evidence of underdiagnosis of myasthenia gravis in older people , 2003, Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.

[12]  A. Kokla,et al.  Epidemiology of seropositive myasthenia gravis in Greece , 2001, Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.

[13]  V. Rakocevic-Stojanovic,et al.  Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of myasthenia gravis in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (1983–1992) , 1999, Acta neurologica Scandinavica.

[14]  D. Compston,et al.  Myasthenia gravis: a population based epidemiological study in Cambridgeshire, England , 1998, Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.

[15]  J. Torner,et al.  Epidemiologic evidence for a changing natural history of myasthenia gravis , 1996, Neurology.

[16]  F. Somnier.  MYASTHENIA GRAVIS : OCCURRENCE, FAILURE IN NEUROMUSCULAR TRANSMISSION, CLINICAL IMPLEMENTATION OF ANTI-ACHR ANTIBODIES, AND THERAPEUTIC PROGRESS , 1996 .

[17]  L. Phillips.  The Epidemiology of Myasthenia Gravis , 2003, Neurologic clinics.

[18]  M. Carreras,et al.  Immunogenetic heterogeneity and associated autoimmune disorders in myasthenia gravis: a population‐based survey in the province of Ferrara, northern Italy , 1994, Acta neurologica Scandinavica.

[19]  I. Tsiropoulos,et al.  Incidence and prevalence of myasthenia gravis in western Denmark , 1993, Neurology.

[20]  J. Torner,et al.  The epidemiology of myasthenia gravis in central and western Virginia , 1992, Neurology.

[21]  V. Wong,et al.  Myasthenia gravis in Hong Kong Chinese , 1992 .

[22]  R. Bradley,et al.  Diagnostic sensitivity of the laboratory tests in myasthenia gravis , 1992, Muscle & nerve.

[23]  V. Wong,et al.  Myasthenia gravis in Hong Kong Chinese. 1. Epidemiology and adult disease. , 1992, Acta neurologica Scandinavica.

[24]  N. Keiding,et al.  Epidemiology of myasthenia gravis in Denmark. A longitudinal and comprehensive population survey. , 1991, Archives of neurology.

[25]  H. Oosterhuis.  The natural course of myasthenia gravis: a long term follow up study. , 1989, Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.

[26]  M. Giagheddu,et al.  Epidemiological study of myasthenia gravis in Sardinia, Italy (1958–1986) , 1989, Acta neurologica Scandinavica.

[27]  A. Vincent,et al.  Myasthenia gravis , 1987, Neurology.

[28]  A. Vincent,et al.  Acetylcholine receptor antibody as a diagnostic test for myasthenia gravis: results in 153 validated cases and 2967 diagnostic assays. , 1985, Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.

[29]  A. Storm-Mathisen,et al.  Epidemiology of myasthenia gravis in Norway , 1984, Acta neurologica Scandinavica.

[30]  A. Storm-Mathisen,et al.  EPIDEMIOLOGICAL AND PROGNOSTICAL ASPECTS OF MYASTHENIA GRAVIS IN NORWAY , 1966, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.