Clinical characteristics of neuromyelitis optica / 临床神经病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics of neuromyelitis optica(NMO).Methods The clinical data of 18 patients with NMO were analyzed retrospectively.Results Of the enrolled patients,15 cases(83.3%) were relapsing form of NMO,16 cases(88.9%) were female and the mean onset age was 36 years old.Simultaneous bilateral optic neuritis(ON) or ON occured sequentially and horizontal impairent of spinal cord were the main clinic features in these 18 patients.Of the patients who received spinal cord MRI examinations,4 cases showed the lesions located in cervical cord,6 cases in thoracic cord and 5 cases in both cervical and thoracic cord.13 cases revealed lesions in spinal cord extended across 3 or more vertebral segments.Furthermore,brain lesions were detected by MRI in 6 patients.The mean onset number of per patient was five.Seven patients presented with mild disability,7 patients with median disability,2 patients with severe disability and death of 2 patients.Conclusions Most patients with NMO are female and relapsing form accounts for the majority type.The cardinal manifestations are bilateral ON and longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis(LETM).Some patients show brain lesions that may be detected by MRI examination.Relatively high relapsing frequency of clinical event and severe impairing are common in NMO.