scholarly journals Two Cases of Very-Late-Onset Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) in Patients over the Age of 80

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shunya Fujiwara ◽  
Yasuhiro Manabe ◽  
Ryuta Morihara ◽  
Taijun Yunoki ◽  
Syoichiro Kono ◽  
...  

We report two cases of very-late-onset neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) in patients over the age of 80 with transverse myelopathy as the initial manifestation. In both cases, the patients presented with paraplegia and sensory, bladder, and rectal disturbances. Thoracic magnetic resonance imaging showed longitudinal high-intensity signals on a T2-weighted image. The patients received high-dose methylprednisolone. Their serum was positive for anti-AQP4 antibody (cell-based assay) during the clinical course. They were diagnosed with NMOSD and treated with immunoadsorption, plasmapheresis, and followed up with daily prednisolone. Very-late-onset NMOSD in patients over the age of 80 has only rarely been reported. The present cases suggest that NMOSD should be considered for elderly patients presenting with transverse myelitis. Early diagnosis and treatment are important.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 341-352
Author(s):  
Mark J Tullman ◽  
Aram Zabeti ◽  
Scott Vuocolo ◽  
Quinn Dinh

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by recurrent optic neuritis and transverse myelitis often resulting in severe disability. Anti-AQP4-immunoglobulin G (IgG) is a pathogenic product of CD19-positive plasma cells found in most, but not all, individuals with NMOSD and is associated with immune-mediated neurologic injury. Inebilizumab, an afucosylated humanized IgG1κ, anti-CD19 monoclonal antibody, may target pathogenic CD19-expressing B cells. In a Phase II/III trial, inebilizumab significantly reduced the proportion of participants experiencing an NMOSD attack and was well tolerated versus placebo. Fewer treated participants had worsening disability than those receiving placebo. Inebilizumab was approved in 2020 by the US FDA for treatment of anti-AQP4 antibody positive NMOSD.


2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlo Maiorca ◽  
Federica Moret ◽  
Valentina Martines ◽  
Daniele Tramontano ◽  
Maria Alessia Papassifachis ◽  
...  

Neuromyelitis Optica spectrum disorder is an inflammatory demyelinating disease affecting the central nervous system (CNS), characterized by triad optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, and area postrema syndrome. Antibodies directed against aquaporin-4 (AQP-4), a water channel expressed on the astrocytic membrane, are supposed to play a pathogenic role and are detected in ~80% of cases. Clinical signs of Neuromyelitis Optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) in elderly patients should arouse the suspicion of paraneoplastic etiology. In this article, we discussed a case of a 76-year-old woman with a 2-month history of confusion, dysarthria, and progressive bilateral leg weakness. A whole-body CT scan showed a neoformation of 5 cm in diameter in the median lobe infiltrating the mediastinal pleura. The tumor had already spread to both the upper and lower right lobes, parietal pleura, and multiple lymph nodes. Pleural cytology revealed adenocarcinoma cells. The brain MRI documented hyperintense alteration in fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images, involving the anterior portion of the corpus callosum and the periependymal white matter surrounding the lateral ventricles, with mild contrast enhancement on the same areas and meningeal tissue. T2-weighted spinal cord MRI sequences showed extended signal hyperintensity from bulbo-cervical junction to D7 metamer, mainly interesting the central component and the gray matter. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed no neoplastic cells. Serum AQP-4 immunoglobulin (IgG) antibodies were found. Meanwhile, the patient rapidly developed progressive paraparesis and decreased level of consciousness. High-dose intravenous methylprednisolone therapy was started but her conditions rapidly deteriorated. No other treatment was possible.


2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (14) ◽  
pp. 1950-1954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinhua Zhang ◽  
Fang Liu ◽  
Yiqi Wang ◽  
Ying Yang ◽  
Yuehong Huang ◽  
...  

Understanding the characteristics of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) with recurrent short partial transverse myelitis (SPTM), which is very rare, contributes to the differential diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). We present two Chinese aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G (AQP4-IgG)-seropositive NMOSD cases who had at least twice SPTM during 4 and 6 years of follow-up, respectively. Their SPTMs have been mild and responded well to corticosteroids just like in the case of MS. The findings highlight the need of searching for serum AQP4-IgG (cell-based assay strongly recommended) in patients with recurrent SPTM and suggest that those patients may have a mild acute attack phase and favorable long-term prognosis.


2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sung-Min Kim ◽  
Ji-Soo Kim ◽  
Young Eun Heo ◽  
Hye-Ran Yang ◽  
Kyung Seok Park

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO), mainly affecting optic nerve and spinal cord, can also manifest diverse ocular symptoms due to brain abnormalities. We present a cortical oscillopsia without nystagmus or head tremor in a patient with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) with anti-aquaporin 4 antibody. This rare ocular manifestation, which is easily underestimated owing to absence of the typical nystagmus, can be an initial manifestation of NMOSD.


Case reports ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-18
Author(s):  
Jhon Camacho ◽  
Sebastian Zuleta ◽  
Maria Paula Alba ◽  
Andrea Hernandez ◽  
Carlos Navas

Introduction: Neuromyelitis optica is an inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system that accounts for 5% of demyelinating diseases in pediatrics. Its clinical presentation is variable and associated to the involved area of the central nervous system.Case presentation: This is the case of a 15-year-old patient who consulted several times for nonspecific neurological symptoms. During his last visit to the Clínica Universitaria Colombia in Bogotá, he presented with bilateral optic neuritis, associated with frontal and parietal headache. Immunophenotyping studies were carried out, reporting positive IgG anti-aquaporin 4 antibodies (anti-AQP4 antibody), thus leading to a diagnosis of seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Management with methylprednisolone pulses was initiated with subsequent outpatient management with rituximab that allowed stabilizing the disease.Discussion: This is an interesting case due to its insidious and uncertain onset in a pediatric patient. It was possible to evaluate clinical and diagnostic differences in relation to its presentation in adults. NMOSD mediated by anti-AQP4 is rare; brain and bone marrow MRI are essential for diagnosis. The treatment of choice for acute conditions consists of high doses of methylprednisolone.Conclusion: This disorder may result in irreversible neurological damage; for this reason, high suspicion is required for early diagnosis and timely treatment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 102221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillermo Delgado-García ◽  
Emmanuel Antonio-Luna ◽  
Diego López-Mena ◽  
Verónica Rivas-Alonso ◽  
José Flores-Rivera ◽  
...  

Immunotherapy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 1053-1066
Author(s):  
Katrin Giglhuber ◽  
Achim Berthele

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a rare autoimmune disease of the CNS which is distinct from multiple sclerosis and typically presents with a relapsing course of optic neuritis, myelitis and midline brain inflammatory lesions. In at least two-thirds of cases, antibodies against the water channel AQP4 can be found, which lead to an antibody-mediated activation of the complement system with consecutive damage to neuronal structures. Eculizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against the terminal complement component 5, was shown to significantly reduce the risk of NMOSD relapse in a Phase III placebo-controlled trial. Based on this, eculizumab (Soliris®) was the first drug to be formally approved for the treatment of anti-AQP4-antibody positive NMOSD in 2019.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 141-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anas Bennis ◽  
Hicham El Otmani ◽  
Nada Benkirane ◽  
Ilham Harrizi ◽  
Bouchra El Moutawakil ◽  
...  

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