title: Neuromyelitis optica: two new cases and review of the literature.
abstract: The clinical features of two recent cases of neuromyelitis optica are reviewed, along with 43 cases from the literature. Severe bilateral visual impairment, thoracic myelitis, prodromal symptoms suggesting a viral syndrome, and moderate pleocytosis of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were characteristic. Respiratory failure developed in 22% of the cases. Seventy percent of patients improved neurologically, 14% had a poor neurological outcome, and 16% died in the acute stages. Predictors of a poor outcome were older age, marked CSF pleocytosis, and severe myelitis. Forty-two percent of patients had a recurrence of demyelinating disease after initial recovery, suggesting a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Fifty-eight percent of patients had a self-limited monophasic illness, consistent with a post-infectious encephalomyelitis. No clear predictors of patients at risk for recurrence were identified. CSF oligoclonal bands were absent in three patients with information available.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000145:classification; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000209:etiology; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012306:Risk