[A clinical comparative study of multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica.]

To compare the clinical characteristics of multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO) for better diagnosis and differential diagnosis of them.

The characteristics of 40 MS and 38 NMO cases were retrospectively studied on clinic manifestations, electroneurophysiology, some laboratory indices, imaging characteristics and so on.

The ratios of male to female were 1:1.35 and 1:4.43 respectively in patients with MS and NMO, so patients with NMO were more likely to be female as compared with MS (P < 0.05). The mean onset age was (35.5 +/- 13.9) years in MS patients and (30.6 +/- 15.6) years in NMO patients, but no significant difference was found (P > 0.05). The cases of visual acuity

NMO may be a distinct clinical entity, which is likely to be differentiated from MS by its tendency to affect women, younger age at onset, and other features clinical manifestations, electroneurophysiology, laboratory parameters, neuroimaging show.