Rome, November 21 (Adnkronos Health) – “In some cases, myasthenia gravis is difficult to diagnose and unfortunately it is often diagnosed late. This happens not because of its difficulty, but because it is a rare disease and the doctor who first visits the patient does not think about it. On average, more than a year passes between the onset of symptoms and the correct diagnosis.” So Francesco Habetswallner, director of the Aorn Cardarelli Napoli Neurophysiology Unit, at the event ‘Protection of patients with rare diseases: myasthenia gravis as a paradigm’, held in Rome and promoted by the Omar – Rare Diseases Observatory with an unconditional contribution from Ucb Pharma.
“Other obstacles that may be encountered – continues Habetswallner – are the absence of antibodies, seronegative forms or the tests carried out not at an adequate level. All these problems reflect on the health and quality of life of the patient, because a delayed diagnosis means not giving the patient the therapy he needs and, in some cases, exposing him to therapy that is dangerous for his health”. Therefore, the risks are manifold: “The consequences of a missed diagnosis are significant. Among them – as determined by the specialist – absence of services, delay in treatment, accumulation of disability. It is important to raise awareness among all healthcare workers to facilitate diagnosis and anticipate them”.
