title: Painful tonic spasms and brainstem involvement in a patient with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.
abstract: Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory-demyelinating disease of the central nervous system classically characterized by optic neuritis and severe myelitis. New diagnostic criteria defined neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder as limited forms of NMO or diverse neurologic presentations in the presence of specific antiaquaporin-4 antibodies. We report the case of a 57-year-old woman admitted in our department for recurrent attacks of optic neuritis, tetraparesis with severe painful tonic spasms of the left limbs and brainstem involvement. Painful tonic spasms have been described as movement disorders associated with multiple sclerosis, but a growing number of reports describe them in cases of NMO.
authors: Neurology Department, Academic Emergency Hospital, "Lucian Blaga" University Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania.
authors: Corina
authors: C
authors: Roman-Filip
authors: Neurology Department, Academic Emergency Hospital, Sibiu, Romania. Electronic address: aurelianungureanu@hotmail.com.
authors: Aurelian
authors: A
authors: Ungureanu
authors: Academic Emergency Hospital, "Lucian Blaga" University Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania.
authors: Mihaela
authors: M
authors: Cernuşcă-Miţaru
mesh_terms: D001933:Brain Stem / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009471:Neuromyelitis Optica / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013035:Spasm / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Brainstem; Neuromyelitis optica; Painful tonic spasms