title: Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis treated with plasmapheresis.
abstract: Accepted modes of therapy in acute disseminated encephalomyelitis include intravenous methyl prednisolone, intravenous immunoglobulin or a combination of both. Effectiveness of plasmapheresis has been demonstrated by previous case reports. We report two patients with steroid non-responsive acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in which plasmapheresis resulted in complete clinical and radiological recovery, though the therapy was initiated in the fifth week of illness. A total of 45-50 ml/kg body weight of plasma was removed in six equal exchanges over a period of two weeks. This report highlights that plasmapheresis could be of use even in the early second month of illness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode 673008, India. drrajeshram@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: RamachandranNair
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parameswaran
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Girija
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D004679:Encephalomyelitis / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D010956:Plasmapheresis; D019233:Retreatment