Nizar Souayah, MD, explains how a “wait and see” approach in MG can allow silent disease progression and delay needed care.
Transcript
Waiting is not a neutral position here. The myasthenia gravis may destroy the neuromuscular junction, and unfortunately, many patients and even physicians don’t know when the patient is feeling well, that’s the time when her or his antibodies are destroying the neuromuscular junction.
The example is, I have recently had a patient. She’s a teacher, she’s in her 40s, who developed droopy eyes for two years, and she was told that she is just fine.
She’s just fatigued. By the time she reached out to me, she cannot go through a day of teaching without having slurred speech, with having double vision. She lost two years. She cannot get back that time. The neuromuscular junction was destroyed quietly, without anybody knowing.
So “wait and see” is not good strategy in myasthenia gravis. “Wait and see” may let the disease progress without any intervention.
