NMOSD & related diseases

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) or NMO spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a rare autoimmune disease classified as a central nervous system inflammatory demyelinating disease. It was formerly known as Devic’s disease, having first been described by Eugène Devic, a French neurologist, at the end of the 19th century.

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) is a rare autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating disease.

Transverse myelitis is a rare inflammatory demyelinating disease caused by inflammation of the spinal cord. The underlying etiology may be infectious (e.g. Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Epstein-Barr virus [EBV; infectious mononucleosis] or cytomegalovirus [CMV]) or autoimmune (e.g. lupus, multiple sclerosis [MS], neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder [NMOSD; read more here]).

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is a rare autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord, optic nerve). ADEM affects children more frequently than adults, and primarily children under the age of 10. It generally appears a few days or weeks after a viral or bacterial infection, or very rarely following vaccination.

Optic neuritis (ON) is an inflammation of the optic nerve that typically presents in adults between the ages of 20 and 40. It is generally of infectious (measles, chickenpox, mumps, herpes, Epstein-Barr virus [EBV; infectious mononucleosis], human immunodeficiency virus [HIV; AIDS] or cytomegalovirus [CMV]) or autoimmune (sarcoidosis, lupus, etc.) origin. Isolated forms with no identifiable cause have also been reported.

Optic neuritis is the most common manifestation of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD; read more here) before the age of 40, as well as of MOG antibody-associated disease (MOGAD, read more here).

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating diseases that attack the central nervous system (brain, spinal cord, optic nerve). They occur more frequently in women than in men, presenting generally around the age of 40 for NMOSD and 30 for MS. MS is more prevalent (1/1,000) than NMOSD (1 to 4/100,000).