Devic's neuromyelitis optica associated with active pulmonary tuberculosis, Tunisia

Area of Science:

• Neuroimmunology
• Infectious Diseases
• Rare Diseases

Background:

• Devic's Optic Neuromyelitis (OND) is a rare autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system (CNS), causing optic neuritis and myelitis.
• The identification of specific autoantibodies has advanced OND diagnosis and research.
• Co-occurrence of OND with Tuberculosis (TB) is exceptionally rare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the first documented case of Neuromyelitis Optica associated with pulmonary Tuberculosis in Tunisia.
• To highlight the rare co-occurrence of these two distinct conditions.

Main Methods:

• Case report detailing clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, and treatment of a patient with coexisting OND and pulmonary TB.
• Review of existing literature on OND and TB associations.

Main Results:

• The study presents a unique case of Neuromyelitis Optica in a patient with active pulmonary Tuberculosis.
• This represents the first reported instance of this rare association in Tunisia.

Conclusions:

• The co-occurrence of OND and pulmonary TB, while rare, is possible.
• Further research may be needed to understand potential pathogenetic links or coincidental associations between OND and TB.