Between 1940 and 2000 a total of 1976 patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) were studied. Diagnosis was made by improvement in weakness after anticholinesterase medication. The historical developments in diagnosis and treatment of MG are reviewed. We analyzed the clinical course of MG as influenced by age, gender, thymectomy, thymomectomy, and the presence of antibodies to acetylcholine receptors (AChR). The clinical course of MG was significantly influenced by age and gender, and these need special attention in managing patients. The most severe level of weakness and high mortality occurred during the first 1 to 2 years of the disease, after which many patients experienced improvement. For treating MG patients the usefulness of thymectomy remains to be proven, and novel drugs need to be developed to increase the number as well as normal functioning of the AChRs and other components of the neuromuscular system.

Previous reports note a prevalence of adult scoliosis up to 32%. In this study, results indicate a scoliosis rate of 68% in a healthy adult population, with an average age of 70.5 years. This study found no significant correlations between adult scoliosis and visual analog scale scores or nutritional status in healthy, elderly volunteers.

This quantitative analysis identified several clinically relevant radiographic parameters in adult scoliosis patients. Additionally, excellent predictive formulas for self-reported pain levels were obtained.

Our data clearly demonstrate the impact that adult scoliosis has on a patient's perception of health. The severity of this impact is strikingly apparent in the SF-36 scores when compared to benchmark data on patients with comorbid conditions such as back pain and hypertension. It is our conclusion that adult scoliosis is becoming a medical condition of significant impact, affecting the fastest growing section of our society to a previously unrecognized degree.