Pupillary dysfunction in myasthenia gravis

Frederick E. Lepore, George E. Sanborn, John T. Slevin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

The constriction‐dilation cycles of pupils exposed to a stationary, discrete slit‐lamp beam were significantly prolonged in 25 myasthenic patients (1,060.4 ± 45.8 msec) undergoing therapy with steroids, anticholinesterases, or both, compared to normal controls (801.9 ± 8.6 msec) or subjects receiving steroids for nonneurological disease (860.9 ± 14.9 msec). The duration of myasthenia correlated with the slowing of the cycle time. Myasthenia gravis may affect ectodermally derived smooth muscle or the autonomic neuromuscular junction or both, and not be restricted to the well‐demonstrated alterations of neuromuscular junction in striated muscle of mesodermal origin. Alternatively, prolonged pupillary cycles could be attributed to dysfunction of central pathways of the pupillary light reflex.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)29-33
Number of pages5
JournalAnnals of Neurology
Volume6
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1979

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Neurology
  • Clinical Neurology

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