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DAVID A. DRACHMAN, MD; JOSEPH H. SKOM, MD

Arch Neurol. 1965;13(3):316-320.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

A CERTAIN PROPORTION of myasthenic patients may be expected to manifest cardiac disease, either due to the primary myocarditis of myasthenia gravis^1-10 or to other types of coincidental heart disease. Although reported cases are few, irregularities of heart rate and rhythm might be expected to occur with some frequency; the treatment of this complication presents a difficult problem because of the pharmacological peculiarities of the disease.

In 1949, Weisman noted that the use of quinidine sulfate to treat a cardiac arrhythmia in a patient with myasthenia resulted in an increase of her weakness.¹¹ Osserman also mentions that the use of quinidine—a relative of quinine—is contraindicated in myasthenia, and instead advises the use of procainamide hydrochloride or digitalis.⁸ Aside from these comments, the literature lacks a discussion of the management of this complication.

We have recently studied an elderly myasthenic patient in whom a myocardial infarction was followed . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
CHICAGO

From the Northwestern University Medical School. Assistant Professor, Neurology and Psychiatry (Dr. Drachman), Associate in Medicine (Dr. Skom).

Footnotes
Submitted for publication April 3; accepted May 20, 1965.

Reprint requests to 303 E Chicago Ave, Chicago, Ill 60611 (Dr. Drachman).

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