Improvement in generalized myasthenia gravis after continuous positive airway pressure therapy for obstructive sleep apnea: A case report

We report a case of generalized myasthenia gravis with obstructive sleep apnea in which myasthenia gravis symptoms improved dramatically after initiation of continuous positive airway pressure therapy. A 42-year-old man was admitted with generalized myasthenia gravis. He was found to snore loudly during sleep and was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea by polysomnography. Continuous positive airway pressure therapy contributed to immediate improvements in not only the apnea-hypopnea index (70.6-20.9), but also the myasthenia gravis-specific activities of daily living scale (10-1) and quantitative myasthenia gravis scale (21-8). We suggest that when a myasthenia gravis patient is obese and suspected to have sleep problems, examinations to detect obstructive sleep apnea should be carried out. If obstructive sleep apnea is diagnosed, continuous positive airway pressure therapy might also improve the patient's myasthenia gravis.