Clinical features and outcomes of Myasthenia Gravis associated with COVID-19 vaccines: A systematic review and pooled analysis

Abstract

Backgrounds: Myasthenia Gravis (MG), a chronic neuromuscular junction disorder, emerged as one of the serious side effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination. We aimed to summarize the findings of studies on the clinical features and outcomes of COVID-19 vaccination-associated MG. Methods: We performed a systematic search on 3 databases, Medline, Embase, and Scopus, using the query “COVID-19 vaccine” and “Myasthenia Gravis.” Patients’ data, including clinical data, MG subtype, vaccine type, and vaccine dose number, were extracted from the eligible studies. Results: A total of 20 COVID-19 vaccination-related MGs have been reported worldwide. The median (interquartile range) age was 64 (51, 75) years; 85% (17/20) of them were male, and 70% (14/20) of patients had received messenger RNA-based vaccines. The most common symptoms, in order of frequency, were binocular diplopia (8/11) and ptosis (4/11); the median (interquartile range) time from vaccine to MG symptoms was 6 (2, 7.5) days. Repetitive nerve stimulation showed abnormal decrement in 85% (11/13) of patients, and all 4 patients getting single-fiber electromyography showed an abnormal finding. Nine out of twelve patients with data on clinical outcomes experienced partial/complete improvement of symptoms within 1 month. Conclusion: MG cases after the COVID-19 vaccine are more likely to occur among males and adults older than 50 years. Our pooled cohort data suggest MG symptoms appear within 2 weeks after receiving the vaccine. The presenting symptoms in MG cases associated with COVID-19 vaccine are possibly similar to non-vaccination related MGs. Most patients are expected to experience partial/complete improvement within 1 month.