title: Plasmapheresis in fulminant acute disseminated encephalomyelitis.
abstract: We report an 11-year-old girl with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) who developed respiratory failure and coma despite the use of corticosteroid and intravenous immunoglobulin. We performed plasmapheresis four times, which improved her level of consciousness, hyperesthesia, external ophthalmoplegia and muscle weakness, and led to the normalization of brain and spinal cord MRI. Plasmapheresis might be an effective treatment in cases of fulminant ADEM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Gunma University School of Medicine, 3-39-15 Showa-machi, Maebashi, 371-8511, Gunma, Japan. rmiyazaw@med.gunma-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miyazawa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hikima
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takano
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arakawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tomomasa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morikawa
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004673:Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010956:Plasmapheresis