title: Myelitis with atopic diathesis: a nationwide survey of 79 cases in Japan.
abstract: We recently reported the occurrence of myelitis in patients with atopic disorders and its pathology to be eosinophilic inflammation. Because similar cases have been reported, we conducted a nationwide epidemiological survey (NES) of myelitis with atopy in Japan. We compared the clinicolaboratory features of the 30 NES cases with the 49 cases at Kyushu University Hospital (KU). Although the NES cases were distributed throughout Japan, the NES and KU cases shared common characteristics. We therefore combined all of the cases identified. The average onset age was 35.8+/-13.4 years, and the male/female ratio was 1:0.65. The onset mode was subacute/chronic in half the patients, and stepwise progression or symptom fluctuation was frequent (69.6%). The most common lesion site was determined clinically and by MRI to be the cervical cord, and paresthesia and/or dysesthesia were the most common symptoms initially (74.7%) and throughout the entire course (83.5%). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) abnormalities were infrequent and mild. These findings suggest that myelitis associated with atopy has mild but prolonged symptoms and occurs throughout Japan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 812-8582, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Osoegawa
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ochi
authors.forename: Motozumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minohara
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murai
authors.forename: Fujio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Umehara
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Furuya
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Jun-ichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009187:Myelitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007073:Immunoglobulin E