Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory and necrotizing disease clinically characterized by selective involvement of the optic nerves and spinal cord. There has been a long controversy as to whether NMO is a variant of multiple sclerosis (MS) or a distinct disease. Recently, an NMO-specific antibody (NMO-IgG) was found in the sera from patients with NMO, and its target antigen was identif...

Neuromyelitis optica/spectrum disorder (NMO/SD) is a severe, inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS). In the majority of patients, it is associated with the presence of pathogenic serum autoantibodies (the so-called NMO-IgGs) directed against the water channel aquaporin 4 (AQP4), and with the formation of large, astrocyte-destructive lesions in spinal cord and optic nerves. A l...

OBJECTIVE To describe and evaluate an endoscope-guided balloon sinuplasty technique for dilation of the equine nasomaxillary opening (NMO). STUDY DESIGN Experimental study. ANIMALS Equine cadaver heads (n=5); Quarter Horses (n=4). METHODS A custom rigid balloon introducer was passed into position within the NMO at the caudal recess of the middle meatus. Under endoscopic guidance, a balloo...

BACKGROUND Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is characterized by optic neuritis and longitudinally extensive acute transverse myelitis. The brain is generally considered healthy in NMO, though very recent studies have demonstrated that magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities may be observed in various brain regions of NMO patients. To date, cognitive functions have never been investigated in NMO. O...

BACKGROUND Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory demyelinating disease that predominantly affects the optic nerves and the spinal cord, and is possibly mediated by an immune mechanism distinct from that of multiple sclerosis (MS). Central scotoma is recognized as a characteristic visual field defect pattern of optic neuritis (ON), however, the differing pathogenic mechanisms of NMO and ...

A Japanese randomized controlled study showed that Interferon â (IFN-â1b) therapy is clinically effective in decreasing the frequency of attacks in multiple sclerosis (MS), even in optico-spinal MS (OSMS). However, recent studies have shown that IFN-â (IFN-â1a/IFN-â1b) treatment was not effective in neuromyelitis optica (NMO) patients and that the diminished benefit of IFN-â treatment in NMO m...

Comparing neuromyelitis optica and multiple sclerosis severity: is there a difference? Comparando a neuromielite óptica e a esclerose múltipla quanto à gravidade: há diferença? T he discovery of the antibody to aquaporin 4, named IgG-NMO, permitted the differential diagnosis between multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO). It renewed the researchers' interest on the study of NMO,...

OBJECTIVE To determine seroprevalence of neuromyelitis optica (NMO)-IgG in childhood CNS inflammatory demyelinating disorders. METHODS We analyzed demographic, clinical, and radiologic data in a blinded fashion and assessed serum NMO-IgG status for 87 children: 41 with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), 17 with NMO, 13 with monophasic/recurrent optic neuritis (ON), 13 with transve...