INTRODUCTION Juvenile Myasthenia gravis (JMG) is seen in children <18 years of age. It is a disorder of neuromuscular transmission due to binding of autoantibodies to components of the neuromuscular junction – most commonly the acetylcholine receptor, and results in variable muscle weakness. Clinical data on JMG in Sub-Saharan Africa is generally lacking. The objective of this study is therefore to characterize the clinical and sociodemographic features of JMG in patients in a tertiary hospital in Ghana. METHODS This is a retrospective observational study, in which the medical records of ten patients from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra were analyzed. The data obtained was over a period of 4 years, from January 2019 to November 2023. RESULTS Of the ten patients, 90% were female and presented with bilateral ptosis. The median age at presentation was 7.7 years, ranging from 2 to 16 years, and generalised myasthenia gravis was seen in 60% of patients. All patients tested positive to the ice pack test, but only 30% were able to do antibody testing due to financial constraints. Oral pyridostigmine was the initial drug of choice for all patients and prednisolone was given to 7 of them due to failure to respond to pyridostigmine alone. One patient was admitted to PICU and managed for myasthenic crisis. CONCLUSION JMG may be more common in Sub-Saharan Africa than previously thought. More prospective studies involving other tertiary facilities would be helpful in determining its prevalence in Ghana, increasing awareness and outlining the treatment offered.

Hannah-Sharon Mills
Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
Ghana

Ebenezer Badoe
Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
Ghana