Unfavorable response of muscle weakness to acetylcholine esterase inhibitors

What it means

Lack of improvement of muscle strength in response to administration of an acetylcholine esterase inhibitor.

An acetylcholinesterase inhibitor inhibits acetylcholinesterase from breaking down acetylcholine, thereby increasing both the level and duration of action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. For instance, edrophonium is a readily reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitor that can be used to differentiate myasthenia gravis from cholinergic crisis. Edrophonium would improve muscle weakness in myasthenia gravis but not in cholinergic crisis.

Rare diseases that can present with this1

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Unfavourable response of muscle weakness to acetylcholine esterase inhibitors