Using immunoglobulins in muscular disease treatment.

Background: Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) have been proven in the past two decades to be potent immunomodulators. This led to the licensing and recommendation of IVIg as first-line treatment for Kawasaki disease, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Objective: To review the evidence and indications for the use of IVIg in the treatment of muscular diseases.

Methods: Literature search in PubMed and of further literature cited in these articles.

Results/conclusion: There are small randomised controlled trials that demonstrate the efficacy of IVIg in dermatomyositis, myasthenic crisis, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome and stiff-person syndrome. However, since there are also alternative treatments IVIgs are mostly used in these diseases as alternatives when other therapeutic approaches have failed.