Mayo Clinic Laboratories > Neurology > Demyelinating disease

Demyelinating disease

Accurate testing to differentiate conditions

Mayo Clinic Laboratories offers testing to diagnose a range of demyelinating diseases, from classic multiple sclerosis (MS) to atypical MS, AQP4/MOG-associated disorders, and spinal cord disorders. Sensitive and specific testing enables physicians to differentiate between conditions with often overlapping symptoms, allowing them to start interventions and therapies earlier — when they are most beneficial to patients.

Similar characteristics. Different treatments.

The clinical and radiologic features of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG-IgG) associated disease (MOGAD), and MS are similar. However, the appropriate treatments for MOGAD and NMOSD are significantly different than for MS.

  • MS is treated by immunomodulation therapy, which may worsen NMOSD.
  • NMOSD and MOGAD are treated by immunosuppressant therapy.

An accurate diagnosis of these diseases is critical for physicians and their patients.

“The value of better testing is translated into better answers from the lab to providers and to patients, and to all clients of the laboratory.”

Maria Alice Willrich, Ph.D., co-director, Antibody Immunology, Protein Immunology, and Clinical Mass Spectrometry laboratories

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