Neuromyotonia - Prognosis

Prognosis

The long-term prognosis for individuals with the disorder is uncertain, and this has mostly to do with the etiology (underlying cause; i.e. autoimmune, paraneoplastic, etc.) and lack of research for this disorder. However, in recent years our increased understanding of the basic mechanisms of NMT and autoimmunity has led to the development of novel treatment strategies. NMT disorders are now amenable to treatment and their prognoses are good. Many patients respond well to treatment, which usually provide significant relief of symptoms. Some cases of spontaneous remission have been noted, including the original two Issacs patients when followed up 14 years later.

While NMT symptoms may fluctuate, they generally don't deteriorate into anything more serious and with the correct treatment the symptoms are manageable.

A very small proportion of cases with NMT may develop central nervous system findings in their clinical course, causing a disorder called Morvan's syndrome and they may also have antibodies against potassium channels in their serum samples. Sleep disorder is only one of a variety of clinical conditions observed in Morvan's syndrome cases ranging from confusion and memory loss to hallucinations and delusions. However, this is a separate disorder.

Also, some studies have linked NMT with certain types of cancers, mostly lung and thymus, suggesting that NMT may be paraneoplastic in some cases. In these cases the underlying cancer will determine prognosis. However, most cases of NMT are autoimmune and not associated with cancer.