Assessment of clinical manifestations and brain and spinal cord imaging in NMOSD patients with seropositive and seronegative AQP-4

Abstract

Optical neuritis (ON) and Myelitis Transverse (TM) were first detected in 1870 by Albutt. Over the past years, due to the identification of serum IgG antibodies against Aquaporin 4 (AQP-4) in most of patents who have been diagnosed as NMOSD, this disease has been considered by researchers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and Brain and spinal cord imaging in patients with NMOSD diagnosis. Materials and Methods: In this case study, patients who referred to neurological clinics and neurology professors' private clinics in terms of presence of clinical symptoms in favor of NMOSD disease such as optical neuritis, or spinal cord symptoms such as transverse myelitis and other clinical syndromes in this disease were examined and evaluated. Results: 40 patients with an average age of 38.9 years (15 to 61 years) were evaluated. 77.5% of the patients were female ratio of 1: 4.3. The mean time of the first clinical sign was 6.27 years, the most commonly blurred vision or optical neuritis (42.5%). 82.5% of patients had positive serology. A total of 70% of patients had relapse disease, with an average frequency of recurrence of 2.5 times; So that the most common clinical sign of recurrence period was limbs weakness. Brain MRI, spinal cord MRI and VEP of patients were abnormal in 67.5%, 50% and 30% of patients, respectively.