Neuromyelitis Optica

This Viewpoint summarizes the current knowledge of the clinical, radiologic, and immunologic features of adult patients who are positive for anti–myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein and compares these individuals with patients with multiple sclerosis and patients with neuromyelitis optica.

This multinational cohort study examines the clinical phenotypes, treatment responses, and outcomes of children with relapsing myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody–associated disease.

This cross-sectional study examines adaptive visual network connectivity changes in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

This study examines the safety and efficacy of bortezomib in patients with highly relapsing neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

This study evaluates whether longitudinally extensive cervical cord lesions extending to or accompanied by area postrema/dorsal medulla lesions on magnetic resonance imaging are specific for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders.

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy and safety of rituximab therapy in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders, considering the potential predictive factors related to patient response to rituximab in this disease.

This review assesses the long-term clinical efficacy and safety of rituximab treatment in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and the influence of FCGR3A polymorphisms on rituximab response.

This retrospective observational study evaluates the long-term safety and efficacy of tocilizumab, a humanized antibody targeting the interleukin 6 receptor, in 8 female patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and NMO spectrum disorder. See the Editorial by Vincent.

This original investigation reports that short transverse myelitis is not uncommon in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders and, when it is present, delays diagnosis/treatment. Clinical and radiological characteristics identified in this study may help select patients with short transverse myelitis who are at the highest risk for a neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. Short transverse myelitis does not exclude consideration of aquaporin-4-IgG testing or neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder diagnosis.

Pittock and colleagues tested aquaporin 4-IgG in a predominantly white non-Hispanic population representative cohort of 3293 potential patients with multiple sclerosis to address what the rate of aquaporin 4-IgG is in multiple sclerosis and how frequently neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders are misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis.

Huh et al evaluate the efficacy and safety of mycophenolate mofetil treatment in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. See also the Editorial by Cree.

Guo and coauthors report a case of autoimmune aquaporin-4 (AQP4) myopathy in which a 51-year-old woman had relapsing optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, AQP4-IgG seropositivity, and recurrent myalgias with hyperCKemia.

Iyer and colleagues described a 53-year-old woman presented with nausea and vomiting and was later diagnosed as having neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

Figueroa and colleagues described a patient with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) spectrum disorder whose test results were seropositive for aquaporin-4 IgG and had a hepatic metastasis from a small-bowel neuroendocrine tumor.