title: [Clinical features of neuromyelitis optica and the distribution of Chinese medical syndrome types: a case report of 63 cases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the clinical features of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) patients, and to study the distribution of Chinese medical syndrome types and the pathogenesis of NMO.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical features, figures of tongue and pulse, Chinese medical syndromes were comprehensively analyzed in 63 NMO patients using statistical methods for clinical data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The age ratio of male to female in 63 NMO patients was 1: 6.88. Their average age of first onset was 31.67 +/- 12.44 years old, and 28. 57% of patients had obvious inducing factor. Urgent onset with relieved recurrence were often seen, with the average recurrence times of 4.60. Most patients complained about sensation disorders, vision disorders, and movement disorders as their first attack and visit. The Chinese medical syndrome types included Gan-Shen yin deficiency syndrome and phlegm-heat collateral stagnation syndrome, mainly involved Gan and Shen. Gan-Shen yin deficiency, sputum, blood stasis, and heat were most often seen syndrome elements.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gan-Shen yin deficiency was dominated in the deficiency in origin of NMO. Phlegm, blood stasis, mingled heat were main dominant evils. Of them, the pathogenesis of Gan-Shen yin deficiency and phlegm-heat collateral stagnation had universality and representativeness, which could be verified from patients' tongue picture and pulse picture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing Tiantan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China. yongpingf@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Yong-ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Xian-hui
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016711:Yang Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology; D016710:Yin Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult