summary: Like MS, neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory-demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. However, people with NMO generally have a more severe disease evolution than MS. Because the treatment and prognosis of MS and NMO are different it is crucial to differentiate between them as soon as possible. The authors found that investigating cerebrospinal fluid may be helpful in distinguishing between the two diseases, due to the differing composition of interleukin proteins involved in the immune response.

authors: Uzawa A, Mori M, Ito M, Uchida T, Hayakawa S, Masuda S, Kuwabara S

source: J Neurol. 2009 Aug 5

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category: Immunology
category: Diagnosis

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