Intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy for Neuromuscular Disorders

ABSTRACT

Treatment of specific immune-mediated neuromuscular disorders involves consideration of many factors including severity of illness, concurrent medical problems, supportive therapies, and immune-modulating therapies. Many immune-modulating therapies are available, including steroids, an increasing number of immunosuppressive drugs, plasmapheresis, and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). Deciding on which immune-modulating therapy involves selecting from those with proven efficacy for a specific disorder and global considerations of which therapies are most appropriate for an individual patient's circumstances. IVIG has become a commonly used therapy as it is well tolerated, easily administered, and is often efficacious with a relatively rapid action. IVIG has become a first-line therapy for several immune-mediated demyelinating polyneuropathies and may play a role in treating exacerbations of myasthenia gravis and selected chronic treatment-refractory cases of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, dermatomyositis, and polymyositis.

KEYWORDS

Intravenous immunoglobulin - neuromuscular disorders - Guillain-Barré syndrome - chronic inflammatory demyelinative polyneuropathy - multifocal motor neuropathy - myasthenia gravis - Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome - dermatomyositis - polymyositis - inflammatory myopathy - inclusion body myositis - immunosuppressive therapy - plasmapheresis

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