Bone density in myasthenia gravis patients receiving long-term prednisolone therapy.

Osteoporosis is an adverse effect of prednisolone therapy, although no study has been conducted on myasthenia gravis patients receiving high-dose prednisolone. We measured bone density in 36 patients (26 females and 10 males) who had undergone long-term prednisolone administration, and found a decrease in bone density in 31% of female patients and osteoporosis in only 11.5% (three cases). This frequency is lower than the presumptive rate of the general population in Japan (22.6%). No osteoporosis was detected in male patients. In conclusion, prednisolone-treated patients with myasthenia gravis have an acceptable risk of bone loss if prophylactic medication is administered.