Risk factors of myasthenia crisis after thymectomy among myasthenia gravis patients: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to determine the risk factors of post-surgery myasthenia crisis (PMC) among myasthenia gravis (MG) patients. METHODS: A meta-analysis to synthesize all eligible literatures was conducted to analyze PMC predictors among MG patients. RESULTS: A total of 15 trials with 2626 patients were included for the meta-analysis. As a result, patients with history of MC (RR = 3.36, 95%CI: 2.46–4.59, P < .001), generalized MG (RR = 0.39, 95%CI: 0.26–0.59, P < .001), bulbar symptom (RR = 3.59,95%CI:2.53–5.09, P < .001), thymoma (RR = 2.10, 95%CI:1.37–3.21, P = .001), post-surgery morbidity presence(RR = 2.59, 95%CI:1.90–3.54, P < .001), high-dose pyridostigmine usage (SMD = 0.480, 95%CI: 0.35–0.61 P < .001) tended to develop PMC. Large dose of steroid may reduce the incidence of PMC (RR = 0.41 95%CI: 0.18–0.94, P = .036). Regular steroid use (P = .066), immunosuppressive therapy (P = .179), gender (P = .774), and age at thymectomy (P = .212) had no impact upon PMC development. CONCLUSION: History of PMC, thymoma, generalized MG, bulbar symptom, and concomitant complication are the risk factors of PMC.