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.
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.”
The latest
Presentation Recording Coming Soon PACE / State of FLThis webinar will discuss the advantages of using electrophysiology results to guide the selection of axonal or demyelinating testing for peripheral neuropathy. This approach can help identify specific antibodies associated with the condition, providing a more precise diagnosis, and improving patient outcomes. Accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment, as the therapeutic approach varies based on the underlying cause of peripheral neuropathy.
Mayo Clinic Laboratories is the only laboratory in the world to offer testing for a novel form of autoimmune meningoencephalomyelitis. Known as autoimmune glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) astrocytopathy, the condition was identified by Mayo Clinic in 2016. The GFAP antibody test is offered as part of Mayo Clinic Laboratories’ encephalitis and myelopathy evaluations.
Patients with autoimmune myelopathy present with subacute onset and rapid progression of spinal cord symptoms (weakness, gait difficulties, loss of sensation, neuropathic pain, and bowel and bladder dysfunction). Autoimmune myelopathy evaluation of serum and spinal fluid can assist in the diagnosis and aid distinction from other causes of myelopathy (multiple sclerosis, sarcoidosis, and vascular disease). Early diagnosis may assist in diagnosis of occult cancer, prompt initiation of immune therapies, or both.
Antibodies to aquaporin-4 and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) are recently described biomarkers seen in a subset of atypical optic neuritis which have revolutionized our understanding of the condition. In this “Hot Topic,” my colleague, Dr. John Chen, will review these advances and how they impact the clinical care of our patients with optic neuritis.
"This study offers hope to patients, since each attack in NMO can cause loss of visual or motor function," says Sean Pittock, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist and first author.