title: The borderland of neuromyelitis optica.
abstract: Neuromyelitis optica (NMO), also known as Devic's disease, is an emerging clinical and pathological entity originally thought to be a variant of multiple sclerosis. Characterised by episodes of demyelination confined to the optic nerve and spinal cord, the discovery in such patients of antibodies to the aquaporin-4 channel has been largely responsible for defining the phenotype to date. Recently it has become clear that there is a borderland where there are patients with optic neuritis-only and myelitis-only forms of the disease, and these may be seronegative in the early phase. We describe two cases of optic neuritis-only NMO, and explore the current understanding of the diagnosis and spectrum of NMO disorders.
authors.affiliation: Specialist Registrar in Neurology, Department of Clinical Neurology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Lucy A E
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: Fahd
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baig
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Palace
authors.forename: Martin R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Turner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D051401:Aquaporin 4 / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000266:history; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D051401:Aquaporin 4; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D008775:Methylprednisolone