TY - JOUR
T1 - Reliability of SFEMG in diagnosing myasthenia gravis: Sensitivity and specificity calculated on 100 prospective cases.
AU - Padua, Luca
AU - Caliandro, Pietro
AU - Di Iasi, G.
AU - Pazzaglia, C.
AU - Pazzaglia, Costanza
AU - Ciaraffa, Francesca
AU - Evoli Stampanoni-B, Amelia
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Objective
The study aimed to determine the utility of single-fibre electromyography (SFEMG) in the diagnosis of myasthenia gravis (MG) in subjects with a clinical suspicion of the disease.
Methods
We performed a prospective, single-blinded study on 100 consecutive patients. SFEMG was not considered a criterion in making the MG diagnosis. For all cases, a different physician than the one performing SFEMG made the diagnosis of MG. All subjects underwent standard SFEMG of a single muscle, the orbicularis oculi.
Results
SFEMG was abnormal in 67 of 100 patients. A final diagnosis of definite MG was made in 54 patients (30 men/24 women). SFEMG was positive in 53 of 54 patients diagnosed with MG. The sensitivity of SFEMG in diagnosing MG was 98% (95% CI: 0.94–1.02), while the specificity was 70% (95% CI: 0.54–0.86), with a positive predictive value of 79% (95% CI: 0.74–0.79) and a negative predictive value of 97% (95% CI: 0.94–0.99).
Conclusions
In this cohort of patients, normal SFEMG findings were unlikely to occur in patients with MG.
AB - Objective
The study aimed to determine the utility of single-fibre electromyography (SFEMG) in the diagnosis of myasthenia gravis (MG) in subjects with a clinical suspicion of the disease.
Methods
We performed a prospective, single-blinded study on 100 consecutive patients. SFEMG was not considered a criterion in making the MG diagnosis. For all cases, a different physician than the one performing SFEMG made the diagnosis of MG. All subjects underwent standard SFEMG of a single muscle, the orbicularis oculi.
Results
SFEMG was abnormal in 67 of 100 patients. A final diagnosis of definite MG was made in 54 patients (30 men/24 women). SFEMG was positive in 53 of 54 patients diagnosed with MG. The sensitivity of SFEMG in diagnosing MG was 98% (95% CI: 0.94–1.02), while the specificity was 70% (95% CI: 0.54–0.86), with a positive predictive value of 79% (95% CI: 0.74–0.79) and a negative predictive value of 97% (95% CI: 0.94–0.99).
Conclusions
In this cohort of patients, normal SFEMG findings were unlikely to occur in patients with MG.
KW - Myasthenia gravis
KW - Neuromuscular transmission
KW - Single-fibre electromyography
KW - Myasthenia gravis
KW - Neuromuscular transmission
KW - Single-fibre electromyography
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/54083
U2 - 10.1016/j.clinph.2013.11.005
DO - 10.1016/j.clinph.2013.11.005
M3 - Article
SN - 1872-8952
SP - N/A-N/A
JO - Clinical Neurophysiology
JF - Clinical Neurophysiology
ER -