LAMBERT EATON MYASTHENIC SYNDROME

Course overview

LAMBERT-EATON MYASTHENIC SYNDROME (LEMS) IS A NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION DISORDER WHICH MAY PRESENT AS A PARANEOPLASTIC PHENOMENON OR A PRIMARY AUTOIMMUNE DISORDER. MORE THAN HALF OF THE CASES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER (SCLC). THE PRIMARY CLINICAL MANIFESTATION IS MUSCLE WEAKNESS. THE PATHOLOGY IS DUE TO THE GENERATION OF ANTIBODIES AGAINST VOLTAGE-GATED CALCIUM CHANNELS (VGCC) ON PRESYNAPTIC NERVE TERMINALS LEADING TO A DECREASE IN THE NEUROTRANSMITTER ACETYLCHOLINE (ACH). THIS TOPIC WILL REVIEW THE PATHOGENESIS, DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, AND TREATMENT OF LAMBERT-EATON MYASTHENIC SYNDROME. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF LAMBERT-EATON SYNDROME AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT.