MYASTHENIA-GRAVIS IN A YOUNG PAPUAN WOMAN

We report a case of myasthenia gravis in a young Melanesian woman. It is only the second case described from Papua New Guinea and the first in which antibodies to the acetylcholine receptor have been demonstrat ed. The patient's complaint of occasional dysarthria was initially dis missed as hysterical in nature due to her apparent normal speech on co nversation. The true nature of her problem only became apparent when s he was asked to read a prolonged monologue. Myasthenia gravis may pres ent without involvement of the eye muscles and the diagnosis may only become apparent if muscle groups are specifically tested for fatiguabi lity.