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Published on: August 21, 2017
Pruritus may be a common symptom related to neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders
Zhiyong He1, Ming Ren2, Xiaofeng Wang2
1Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Background:
To evaluate pruritus in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) and to characterize the relationship between pruritus and lesions of NMOSD.
Methods:
61 patients with NMOSD were included in the study and their medical records were reviewed for pruritus, neurological symptoms and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images. We focused on the patients' history of pruritus, especially the severity, duration, region, and the relationship of pruritus with other symptoms of NMOSD.
Results:
Of the 61 patients with NMOSD, 59 had longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM). 38 of these patients (64.4%) reported pruritus during the course of their illness, with 16 patients reporting pruritus as the initial symptoms followed by limb weakness. In 35 of 38 patients (92.1%), pruritus was located within the dermatomes innervated by the spinal nerves from the involved spinal cord.
Conclusion:
Our results show that pruritus is a common symptom of NMOSD and relates to the lesions in the spinal cord. Pruritus may indicate a new episode of myelitis in patients with NMOSD.
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