Source
Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Street 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) have been proven in the past two decades to be potent immunomodulators. This led to the licensing and recommendation of IVIg as first-line treatment for Kawasaki disease, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and Guillain-Barré syndrome.
OBJECTIVE:
To review the evidence and indications for the use of IVIg in the treatment of muscular diseases.
METHODS:
Literature search in PubMed and of further literature cited in these articles.
RESULTS/CONCLUSION:
There are small randomised controlled trials that demonstrate the efficacy of IVIg in dermatomyositis, myasthenic crisis, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome and stiff-person syndrome. However, since there are also alternative treatments IVIgs are mostly used in these diseases as alternatives when other therapeutic approaches have failed.