4 Interesting Facts of Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis
- Immune-mediated demyelinating central nervous system disorder primarily in children
- Similar features include acute polyfocal neurologic deficits (eg, sensory loss, hemiparesis, vision disturbance typical of optic neuritis); may be difficult to differentiate from first attack of multiple sclerosis
- Differentiating features include younger age (median is 5-8 years) and systemic symptoms (eg, fever, vomiting, meningism, drowsiness, headache); typically an isolated event that is postinfectious or postvaccinal
- In addition, cerebrospinal fluid is generally negative for oligoclonal bands; MRI features that differ from those of multiple sclerosis include periventricular sparing and absence of periventricular ovoid lesions oriented perpendicular to ventricles
- Diagnosis is clinical with neuroimaging confirmation
