Objectives To identify clinical features of aquaporin 4 (AQP4) antibody positive optic neuritis (ON) in neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and NMO spectrum disorder (NMOSD) a UK cohort. Methods We performed retrospective review case notes NMOSD patients referred to the joint National service (based at Liverpool Oxford) for AQP4 by cell based assay between 2006 2011. The features, visu...

OBJECTIVES To report the clinical features and outcome of 24 Brazilian patients with optic neuromyelitis syndrome (ONM); discuss the underlying pathological events associated with the ONM syndrome; review the nosological situation of ONM in the group of inflammatory and demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with ONM treated at the Hospital da Lago...

Background. Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) attacks are poorly controlled by steroids and evolve in stepwise neurological impairments. Assuming the strong humoral response underlying NMO attacks, plasma exchange (PLEX) is an appropriate technique in severe NMO attacks. Objective. Presenting an up-to-date review of the literature of PLEX in NMO. Methods. We summarize the rationale of PLEX in relation...

Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) is an autoimmune condition that predominantly targets optic nerves and spinal cord. The discovery of NMO-IgG and its target aquaporin-4 (AQP4) as a marker of NMO allowed a better understanding of the disease and, recently, a new definition and diagnostic criteria for NMO spectrum diseases (NMOSD) have been proposed [1]. In a subgroup of patients with NMOSD, a parainfe...

The central nervous system demyelinating diseases are a group of disorders with different etiologies, characterized by inflammatory lesions that are associated with loss of myelin and eventually axonal damage. In this group the most studied ones are multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optic (NMO) and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). The cerebrospinal fluid is essential to differe...

BACKGROUND The authors previously proposed diagnostic criteria for neuromyelitis optica (NMO) that facilitate its distinction from prototypic multiple sclerosis (MS). However, some patients with otherwise typical NMO have additional symptoms not attributable to optic nerve or spinal cord inflammation or have MS-like brain MRI lesions. Furthermore, some patients are misclassified as NMO by the a...

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a demyelinating disease consisting of relapsing-remitting optic neuritis and myelitis with a more severe course than Multiple Sclerosis. Recently, it has been shown that almost 50% of patients with NMO can have brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities. We report on six Brazilian patients with NMO, fulfilling the 1999 Wingerchuck criteria for this diseas...

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a severe autoimmune disease of the CNS characterized by recurrent inflammatory events primarily involving the optic nerves and spinal cord. NMO is infrequent in children, but early recognition is important to start adequate treatment. In this article, we review the evolving diagnostic criteria of NMO and provide an update on the clinical and neuroimaging spectrum o...

The neurological manifestations of chronic hepatitis C is most often a peripheral sensory neuropathy characterised by numbness, burning and sensation of "pins and needles". Peripheral motor neuropathy, mononeuropathy, mononeuropathy multiplex and transverse myelitis also occur. Ischemic stroke and transient cerebral ischemia have also been reported. Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy is seen, o...

An 11-year-old girl developed sudden visual loss in her left eye, preceding subacute myelitis by 9 months. Multifocal lesions in the central nervous system were demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging. Although unilateral blindness is unusual, the clinical findings predominantly involving the optic nerve and spinal cord were consistent with the diagnosis of neuromyelitis optica (NMO). This c...