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Published on: April 14, 2014
Conventional brain MRI in neuromyelitis optica.
1Cuban Multiple Sclerosis Society, Havana, Cuba. cabrera.gomez@infomed.sld.cu
European Journal of Neurology
|November 2, 2011
Summary
Brain MRI lesions are common in neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and should be considered in diagnostic criteria. Current multiple sclerosis (MS) criteria are not suitable for diagnosing NMO.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neurology
- Radiology
Background:
- Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is characterized by lesions on brain MRI.
- Previous studies have not synthesized neuro-radiological findings in NMO.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review brain MRI findings in NMO.
- To propose incorporating characteristic brain MRI lesions into NMO diagnostic criteria.
Main Methods:
- Literature search of EBSCO, EMBASE, PubMed/Medline, Science Citation Index, and SCOPUS.
- Analysis of articles describing brain MRI findings in NMO.
Main Results:
- Brain abnormalities are prevalent in NMO patients, increasing with disease duration.
- Barkhof criteria for multiple sclerosis (MS) are met by a minority of NMO patients and should not exclude NMO.
- Distinctive brain lesions characteristic of NMO were cataloged and described.
Conclusions:
- Brain lesions are a consistent feature of NMO.
- There is a need for international consensus MRI criteria for NMO, similar to those for MS.
