Citation

Bhandari A, Adenwalla F. Lancet 2007; 370(9588): 712.

Affiliation

Neath Port Talbot Hospital, Baglan Way, Port Talbot, SA12 7BX, Wales, UK. (dravijitbhandari@yahoo.com)

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61348-8

PMID

17720023

Abstract

The near-ubiquity of falls in elderly people1 should not deter doctors from seeking the cause. The annual incidence of myasthenia gravis in the UK is estimated at 1-2 in 100 000, but may be five times as high in elderly people in whom the disorder is thought to be substantially underdiagnosed. The mean time taken to diagnose myasthenia gravis in people over 60 years of age, after they develop symptoms, was estimated in 1996 as 4.5 months--almost twice the time taken to diagnose the disorder in younger people.

Language: en