title: Two subtypes of optic-spinal form of multiple sclerosis in Japan: clinical and laboratory features.
abstract: Seventy-seven cases of the optic-spinal form of multiple sclerosis (OSMS) were collected from 6 institutes in 3 cities of Japan, and the clinical and MRI features were analyzed. Two-thirds of the OSMS patients had longitudinally extensive spinal cord MRI lesions (LESL), and had clinical features similar to those of relapsing neuromyelitis optica which often causes severe disability. In contrast, OSMS patients without LESL tended to have milder disease and had some feature commonly seen in the conventional form of MS. The percentage of OSMS without LESL in total OSMS has recently been increasing. The present study suggests that LESL is crucially important for distinguishing the two subtypes of OSMS.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Neurology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan. inakashima@em.neurol.med.tohoku.ac.jp
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukazawa
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ota
authors.forename: Chiyoko
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nohara
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Warabi
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Miyazawa
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujihara
authors.forename: Yasuto
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itoyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric