title: Acute Respiratory Failure due to Neuromyelitis Optica Treated Successfully with Plasmapheresis.
abstract: Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) is a demyelinating autoimmune disease involving the central nervous system. Acute respiratory failure from cervical myelitis due to NMO is known to occur but is uncommon in monophasic disease and is treated with high dose steroids. We report a case of a patient with NMO who developed acute respiratory failure related to cervical spinal cord involvement, refractory to pulse dose steroid therapy, which resolved with plasmapheresis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of CT Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
authors.forename: Massa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zantah
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, University of CT Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Coyle
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, University of CT Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
authors.forename: Debapriya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Datta