Enhancing brain lesions during acute optic neuritis and/or longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis may portend a higher relapse rate in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders

摘要

Background and purposeNeuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder with optic neuritis (ON) and/or longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) episodes. We now know that NMOSD is associated with antibodies to aquaporin 4 (AQP4) which is highly concentrated on astrocytic end-feet at the blood-brain barrier. Immune-mediated disruption of blood brain barrier may manifest as contrast enhancement (CE) on brain MRI. We aim to delineate extent and frequency of CE on brain MRI within one month of ON and/or LETM attacks and to correlate CE with outcomes measures.