title: Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and other inflammatory demyelinating variants.
abstract: Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an immune-mediated inflammatory central nervous system disorder characterized by acute or subacute onset of multifocal neurologic deficits with headache and impaired conscious level. Acute haemorrhagic leuoko-encephalitis (AHEM) is a more sever, often fatal variant. These disorders often follows a viral illness or vaccination, and are usually monophasic, though (probably more commonly in childhood) a multiphasic variant of ADEM is recognized. Because of the relative non-specificity of the clinical presentation (a sub-acute encephalopathy with focal signs), the differential diagnosis is wide; and distinction from the first episode of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis can occasionally be difficult. Here the clinical and investigational features of these disorders and their treatment are discussed.
authors: Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, UK. Electronic address: n.j.scolding@bristol.ac.uk.
authors: Neil
authors: N
authors: Scolding
mesh_terms: D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004673:Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D014611:Vaccination
keywords: MRI; cerebrospinal fluid; children; clinical course; clinical presentation; diagnosis; diseasemodifying therapy; encephalomyelitis; immunosuppressive therapy; infection; vaccination