title: NMO in pediatric patients: brain involvement and clinical expression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the clinical, neuroimaging characteristics and positivity of the acquaporin water channel (NMO-IgG) in pediatric patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO). This disorder could have a variable clinical expression. To address such variability, the term NMO spectrum has been suggested.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated six pediatric patients, with a median age of 11 years at the time of the study, with the diagnosis of NMO by the Wingerchuck criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the cases exhibited bilateral optic neuritis (ON). Four patients had abnormalities on brain MRI from the onset,although only three of them developed symptoms correlated to those lesions during the course of their disorder. NMO-IgG was positive in 80%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Optic neuropathy is the most impaired feature in NMO patients. Brain MRI lesions are not compatible with multiple sclerosis and positivity of the NMO-IgG are also present in NMO pediatric patients, confirming the heterogeneity in the expression of this disorder.
authors.affiliation: Pediatrics Department, School of Medicine, La Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela. juaco949@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Joaquín A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Peña
authors.forename: María Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Ravelo
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mora-La Cruz
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montiel-Nava
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009188:Myelitis, Transverse / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G