Treatment

Any tumour associated with Lambert-Eaton syndrome should be treated and this may produce a partial remission of the myasthenic condition. Other approaches embrace:

• drugs that facilitate neuromuscular transmission:
  • 3-4 diaminopyridine
  • guanidine
  • anticholinesterases are not helpful
    
    
• immunosuppression:
  • prednisolone can be valuable in those with or without small-cell lung cancer
  • there is not the initial steroid-induced weakness that may be seen in myasthenia gravis
  • in cases not associated with small-cell lung cancer, the combination of azathioprine and prednisolone is often very effective
    
    
• plasmapharesis:
  • may provide transient a improvement
  • should be reserved for those with severe weakness