Acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis

Cerebral WM changes (WMC) are found in a number of diseases of adulthood, such as the debated Binswanger s disease, multiple sclerosis, acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis, posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome, cerebral anoxia, leukodystrophies, and mitochondrial encephalopathies, among others. The term leukoaraiosis (LA) is applied for nonspecific WMC, primarily in the elderly, that cannot be attributed to a... 

Another report included seven cases of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis after administration of Japanese encephalitis vaccine between 1968 and 1990 (10). Three other cases of neurological complications after the use of Japanese encephalitis vaccine have been reported in Denmark. In two cases the clinical picture was consistent with acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis (SEDA-21, 334). 

A number of animal diseases caused by viruses involve primary demyelination and often are associated with inflammation. These diseases are studied as animal models, which may provide clues about how a viral infection could lead to immune-mediated demyelination in humans [1, 5, 6]. Canine distemper virus causes a demyelinating disease, and the lesions in dog brain show a strong inflammatory response with some similarities to acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in man [ 1 ]. Visna is a slowly progressive demyelinating disease of sheep caused by a retrovirus [ 1 ]. 

The most common cause of primary demyelination is MS, so demyelinating optic neuropathy is often associated with MS. Other conditions have been implicated in demyelinating optic neuropathy, including acute transverse myelitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, herpes zoster, Gnillain-Barre syndrome, Devic s nemomyelitis optica, Epstein-Barr virus, Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome, and chronic multifocal demyelinating nemopathy. 

Linington C, Bradl M, Lassmann H, Brunner C, Vass K (1988) Augmentation of demyelination in rat acute allergic encephalomyelitis by circulating mouse monoclonal antibodies directed against a myelin/oligodendrocyte glycoprotein. Am J Pathol 130 443 54. 

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