Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Muscle and Nerve, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Introduction/Aims: Azathioprine (AZA) and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) are generally used for long periods when treating myasthenia gravis. In well-controlled patients, discontinuation of AZA/MMF may be a cause for concern because of the possibility of relapse. We aimed to evaluate relapse and relapse-related parameters after discontinuation of AZA/MMF. Method: Patients who had discontinued AZA or MMF monotherapy were retrospectively reviewed. We reviewed relapse, whether in pharmacological remission (PR) or exhibiting minimal manifestations (MM 1), disease duration, duration of AZA/MMF use, and other clinical parameters. Results: A total of 32 patients were included who either discontinued AZA (n = 28) or MMF (n = 4) treatments. Relapse was detected in 11 (34%). Patients in PR had fewer relapses than those with MM 1 (p = 0.023). Intravenous immunoglobulin was required in four. All patients who relapsed were stabilized with AZA/MMF. No significant association was found between relapse and age of disease onset, duration of disease, duration of AZA/MMF use, thymectomy status, or maximum Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America score during active disease. Discussion: The results of this study suggest that patients in PR are less likely to relapse compared to those in MM 1. In well-controlled MG patients, AZA/MMF may be discontinued.