Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41476989›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2025

COVID-19-associated delayed-onset MuSK-positive myasthenia gravis presenting solely with respiratory failure: a case report.

Xiao-Guang Cao, Jun-Xi Ni, Xiong-Feng Zhu, Hua-Dong Meng, Chong-Jian Huang

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In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Xiao-Guang CaoDepartment of Emergency Medical Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Hefei, Anhui, China.
Jun-Xi NiDepartment of Emergency Medicine, The Third People's Hospital of Hefei, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Xiong-Feng ZhuDepartment of Emergency Medicine, The Third People's Hospital of Hefei, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Hua-Dong MengDepartment of Emergency Intensive Care Unit (EICU),The Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (The First People's Hospital of Hefei), Hefei, Anhui, China.
Chong-Jian HuangSuzhou Hospital of Anhui Medical University(Suzhou Municipal Hospital of Anhui Province), Suzhou, Anhui, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) myasthenia gravis is a rare autoimmune disorder of the neuromuscular junction that predominantly affects the bulbar and respiratory muscles. Although SARS-CoV-2 infection has been implicated as a precipitating factor, post-COVID-19 MuSK-MG remains exceedingly uncommon. Case presentation: A 29-year-old woman with a six-year history of unexplained exertional dyspnea was hospitalised twice for acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. The first episode, five months earlier, was attributed to severe tricuspid regurgitation; the second occurred eight weeks after mild COVID-19 and was characterized by coma due to hypercapnic respiratory failure without parenchymal lung disease. Diagnosis: Standard electrophysiology, neostigmine testing and acetylcholine-receptor antibodies (AChR-Ab) were negative. Given persistent ventilator dependence, MuSK antibodies (MuSK-Ab) were measured and found strongly positive. Interventions: The patient underwent five plasma-exchange sessions, then received oral prednisone (50 mg day), tacrolimus (1.5 mg q12h) and nebulized salbutamol. Outcomes: She was weaned from non-invasive ventilation by day 23, discharged on day 27 (mMRC grade I) and remained stable on low-dose prednisone/tacrolimus at three-month follow-up. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 infection may plausibly act as a trigger for late-onset MuSK-MG presenting as isolated hypercapnic respiratory failure. In otherwise unexplained weaning failure, neuromuscular-junction disease should be considered even without limb or ocular weakness. Early antibody testing and prompt immunomodulatory therapy [plasma exchange (PLEX) plus glucocorticoid/tacrolimus] may be life-saving and yield rapid recovery.

Indexed as

COVID-19Myasthenia GravisReceptor Protein-Tyrosine KinasesReceptors, CholinergicRespiratory InsufficiencySARS-CoV-2AdultAutoantibodiesFemaleHumansPlasma ExchangePrednisoneAutoantibodiesMUSK protein, humanPrednisoneReceptor Protein-Tyrosine KinasesReceptors, CholinergicCOVID-19MuSK myasthenia gravisprognosisrespiratory failuretacrolimus

Identifiers

PMID41476989
PMCPMC12747981

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.