| Myasthenia Gravis | Myasthenic Syndrome | |
|---|---|---|
| Manifestations | Extraocular, bulbar, and facial muscle weakness | Proximal limb weakness (legs > arms) |
| Fatigue with exercise | Exercise improves strength | |
| Muscle pain is uncommon | Muscle pain is common | |
| Normal reflexes | Absent or decreased reflexes | |
| Gender | Female > male | Male > female |
| Coexisting pathology | Thymoma | Cancer (especially small cell carcinoma of the lung) |
| Response to muscle relaxants | Resistant to succinylcholine
Sensitive to nondepolarizing muscle relaxants | Sensitive to succinylcholine and nondepolarizing muscle relaxants |
| Response to anticholinesterases | Poor response to anticholinesterases | Poor response to anticholinesterases |