title: Differentiation of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders from ultra-longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis in a cohort of Chinese patients.
abstract: This study aimed to differentiate neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) from other causes in cases of ultra-longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (uLETM). We retrospectively analyzed thirty-three Chinese patients with uLETM hospitalized in the China-Japan Friendship Hospital. The patients were divided into NMOSD (n=21) and non-NMOSD (n=12) groups. The NMOSD group exhibited significantly more comorbidity compared with the non-NMOSD group; moreover, the NMOSD group uniquely exhibited intractable vomiting and hiccups (IVH). The prevalence rates of cervicothoracic, area postrema (AP), and other circumventricular organ (CVO) lesions were significantly increased in the NMOSD group compared with the non-NMOSD group. Moreover, uLETM was strongly associated with NMOSD. These novel findings indicate that CVO lesions, including AP, and particularly when combined with clinical IVH, may represent a useful discriminator to differentiate NMOSD.
authors: Department of Neurology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China. Electronic address: z_weihe@hotmail.com.
authors: Weihe
authors: W
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Neurology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China.
authors: Yujuan
authors: Y
authors: Jiao
authors: Department of Neurology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China.
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Cui
authors: Department of Neurology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China. Electronic address: jinsongjiao@126.com.
authors: Jinsong
authors: J
authors: Jiao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D051401:Aquaporin 4 / Q000276:immunology; D044466:Asian People; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009188:Myelitis, Transverse / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C496030:AQP4 protein, human; D051401:Aquaporin 4; D007074:Immunoglobulin G
keywords: Causes; Clinical; Imaging; Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis, ultra; Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders