Summary :
Myasthenia gravis (MG for myasthenia gravis) is an autoimmune disease of the peripheral motor system caused by the dysfunction of cholinergic nerve transmission at the neuromuscular junction. The diagnosis is based on the combination of clinical symptoms with the presence of specific autoantibodies. In order to answer a request of the Myasthenia Support Group of the French Muscular Dystrophy Association (AFM-Telethon) on the deficits of olfaction and taste, a literature review was carried out. Our research in PubMed covered the period from October 2012 to September 2017. It completed the results of a systematic review conducted from January 1950 to December 2012 by Leon-Sarmiento who identified 10 stu-dies reporting smell and/or taste disorders in MG patients. Using the combined terms “myasthenia gravis” with “smell” or “taste”, our search found three additional papers.
Whatever their pathophysiological basis, disturbances of taste and smell have often been reported. Their impacts in daily life, on occupational participation as well as on eating behavior, emotions, and mood are little considered, although they can be serious. The risk of eating spoiled food, the reduction in the pleasure of eating, the feeling of vulnerability in the detection of hazards or social isolation are part of this. The objectives of this paper are to support the suspicion of olfaction and taste disorders in pa-tients with autoimmune myasthenia gravis in the scientific literature, as well as to demonstrate the importance of their effects in the daily life of any person prone to these impairments.
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Article rédigé par :
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Tuy Nga Brignol
Médecin
AFM-TéléthonRédactrice en chef des Cahiers de myologie
tnbrignol@afm-telethon.fr
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Élise Dupitier
Ergothérapeute BSc
Ergothérapeute conseil AFM-Téléthon
edupitier@afm-telethon.fr