A case of chronic progressive myelopathy

Mult Scler. 2010 Oct;16(10):1255-7. doi: 10.1177/1352458510377907. Epub 2010 Aug 26.

Abstract

Acute myelitis and optic neuritis are the main clinical features of patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO), which usually appears as a relapsing-remitting course of disease that worsens over days and improves over weeks. We present a patient with chronic progressive myelitis over a 4-month period without remission as having a limited form of NMO that improved after plasmapheresis. Plasmapheresis may benefit patients with chronic progressive myelitis, which may be a manifestation of NMO, as well as those with a relapsing-remitting course of NMO.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
  • Aquaporin 4 / immunology
  • Autoantibodies / analysis
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Methylprednisolone / therapeutic use
  • Middle Aged
  • Muscle Strength / physiology
  • Neurologic Examination
  • Neuromyelitis Optica / drug therapy
  • Neuromyelitis Optica / pathology*
  • Neuromyelitis Optica / therapy
  • Plasmapheresis
  • Spinal Cord / pathology

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Aquaporin 4
  • Autoantibodies
  • Methylprednisolone