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Neuro-Ophthalmology pp 11–22Cite as

Optic Neuritis as the Presenting Feature of Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO): Diagnosis and Management

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Abstract

Since its description in 1894 by Eugene Devic, many had considered neuromyelitis optica (NMO) to be a “variant” of multiple sclerosis (MS). Clinical and MRI differences between MS and NMO along with the landmark discovery of highly specific anti-aquaporin 4 (AQP4) antibodies in 2004 indicated that NMO is a distinct disease marked by severe demyelination of the central nervous system (CNS) with particular predilection for the optic nerves, spinal cord, and area postrema in the medulla. Over the last 13 years, there has been a plethora of research and clinical interest in NMO facilitating improved awareness among physicians. Despite this, controversies on how to best diagnosis and treat NMO persist. This chapter will discuss the current evidence-based understanding of optic neuritis as the presenting feature of NMO while highlighting a few actively debated differences in its clinical care throughout the world.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Claire Sheldon for contributing materials helpful to the creation of this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Neurosciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Collin M. McClelland & Michael S. Lee

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Mark S. Gans

Authors
  1. Collin M. McClelland
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  2. Michael S. Lee
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  3. Mark S. Gans
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark S. Gans .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Weill Cornell Medicine, Blanton Eye Institute Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA

    Andrew G. Lee

  2. Metabolic Neurology, Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research College of Medical & Dental Sciences University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

    Alexandra J. Sinclair

  3. Houston Methodist Hospital, Blanton Eye Institute, Houston, TX, USA

    Ama Sadaka

  4. Houston Methodist Hospital, Blanton Eye Institute, Houston, TX, USA

    Shauna Berry

  5. Birmingham Neuro-Ophthalmology, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

    Susan P. Mollan

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McClelland, C.M., Lee, M.S., Gans, M.S. (2019). Optic Neuritis as the Presenting Feature of Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO): Diagnosis and Management. In: Lee, A., Sinclair, A., Sadaka, A., Berry, S., Mollan, S. (eds) Neuro-Ophthalmology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98455-1_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98455-1_2

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