About 10% of all myasthenia patients are children and adolescents. In our series of 30 cases followed-up for at least two years, 15 (50%) presented with purely ocular symptoms; only one (6%) developed generalized symptoms one month after presentation, while the others remained ocular in 2-24 years’ follow-up. Acetylcholine receptor antibodies were absent in 40% initially, but became positive in 16% in 1-5 years. Patients with no acetylcholine receptor antibodies were also negative for muSK antibodies. Spontaneous remission was observed in six cases (20%), and relapses after 5-11 years’ remission in three patients with purely ocular myasthenia. Our data confirm the relatively mild course of juvenile myasthenia, the exceptional tendency of ocular juvenile myasthenia to remain confined to these muscles, and the possibility of antibody-negative patients developing antibodies later in the disease.

Keywords: Miyasteni, jüvenil, otoimmün, asetilkolin reseptör antikoru, juvenile myasthenia, acetylcholine receptor antibodies, prognosis.