Rodríguez PJM, Díaz RYV, Estévez DE, Rosales LR, Camejo GN

Language: Spanish
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ABSTRACT

Devic's optic neuromielitis is a rare disease characterized by the association of unilateral or bilateral optic neuritis and myelitis, both recurrent. Its prognosis is unfavorable for both: the optic nerve and spinal cord, which involves a process of cavitation, causing a considerable disability and impairment in patients´ quality of life, excluding those with this disease since the childhood. Two cases with this diagnosis were described considering neuroimaging, cerebrospinal fluid, clinical progress, complications, prognosis and treatment. The authors concluded that it is a rare disease. In the first hours or days it may not have clinical-radiological correspondence thus coexists severe functional impairment of the central nervous system with normal neuroimaging, it generates diagnostic doubts that were resolved when retested. It is important to establish the differential diagnosis when intramedullary tumors in neuroimaging display increased contrast captures core diameter, and psychogenic pictures if it is normal. The evolution is progressive to severe disability because of the severity of spinal cord injury beside the loss of visual acuity. Diagnosis should be made according to the clinical progress, iconographic and biochemical defined in the literature, although the only certainty is achieved by pathologic examination, usually with autopsy.