From:
http://www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/gravis/box2.cfm
The single-fiber EMG evaluates how well the nerve and muscle communicate. It involves insertion of a recording needle electrode into the area of the nerve-muscle communication point (the neuromuscular junction). There may be some discomfort with insertion of the electrodes (similar to an intramuscular injection, or a shot that goes right into the muscle). A single fiber EMG is often done on an eye, forehead, or forearm muscle. If a person is in remission, the SFEMG is normal, but if there is weakness from MG, the SFEMG is usually abnormal. Patients with ocular myasthenia will have an abnormal SFEMG. The diagnosis of MG is made after accounting for all the clinical symptoms and signs as well as the tests performed. Most patients tolerate the procedure well. A single-fiber EMG is a more technically difficult procedure than the standard EMG. Studies of this method suggest that it may detect abnormalities in over 95% of MG patients. However, other diseases may produce similar abnormalities. The test should be done by someone with extensive experience.
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Additional information can be found here:
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1141438-overview
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Looks to me like your doctor was mistaken wrt the EMG. Was he a gp or a neuro?
hth
Brian.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wonder
Everywhere I read that an EMG is one of the first tests they might do for MG, right? (And the AChR.) A doctor told me that "if someone has an abnormal EMG they definitely do NOT have MG, they have MD." That's false right? I just want to make sure I am not crazy  I am pretty sure he was just trying to mislead me on purpose because he decided that I was just a silly hypochondriac... sigh. But it's still weird for him to make untrue statements.
With MG, you could have any combination of these 3 tests being normal or abnormal right? I am just trying to start to decide which of them I should get done - maybe 2 of them or all 3. (Doc will order the ones I want.) But yikes about the money and getting poked and prodded so much at once. (Well actually I think my ins might cover these 100%.) |