Splenic and total-body irradiation treatment of myasthenia gravis.

X-irradiation is introduced as a new therapeutic technique in the treatment of otherwise intractable myasthenia gravis (MG) and polymyositis (PM), on the basis that these dysimmune diseases are "lymphocyte dyscrasias" and that lymphocytes are the circulating cells most sensitive to x-irradiation. Splenic irradiation, 1000 rads per two-week course, repeated up to three courses, in five MG patients produced objective improvement in three and subjective improvement in another. The improvement was transient and accompanied by a temporary lymphocytopoenia. Total Body Irradiation (TBI), 150 rads over five weeks, in one polymyositis patient was followed by remarkable improvement, sustained and still increasing now after one year, associated with a sustained lymphocytopoenia. One MG patient has had definite improvement, maintained to the present, seven months after TBI, associated with persistent lymphocytopoenia. We suggest TBI may also be a treatment applicable to other types of dysimmune (autoimmune) diseases.