Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome: the 60th anniversary of Eaton and Lambert's pioneering article

Abstract

This historical review describes the contribution of Drs. Lee M. Eaton and Edward H. Lambert to the diagnosis of myasthenic syndrome on the 60th anniversary of their pioneering article (JAMA 1957) on the disease. There are important landmarks in their article on a disorder of the neuromuscular junction associated with thoracic neoplasm and the electrophysiological criteria for Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). After 60 years, the main electrophysiological criteria described in Eaton and Lambert's pioneering article are still currently useful in the diagnosis of LEMS.

Recent Advances and Therapeutic Options in Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome

“…A revolutionary article was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in 1956, briefing about the syndrome with the neuromuscular transmission defect discovered by Eaton and Lambert, which was the basis for the coined name of the disease, Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS) [1]. LEMS is an autoimmune disorder of the neuromuscular junction caused by antibodies produced against the voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC) on the presynaptic nerve terminals, thus inhibiting the release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) [2].…”