These results confirm an improved clinical benefit of early initiation of PLEX during severe attacks of NMO-SD. Perceiving PLEX as a rescue therapy only after steroid failure could be deleterious.

The island of Martinique appears to have a low to medium prevalence of MS. MS was almost unknown in FAC in Martinique until the late 1970s. The apparent recent increase may be explained by improved recognition of patients, increased availability of MRI for diagnosis, increased disease awareness among physicians, increased survival of MS patients, or an actual increase in disease frequency.

In optic neuritis associated with NMO, sequential treatment with pulsed intravenous corticosteroids and PE is more effective than standard monotherapy with corticosteroids on visual acuity outcome.

No abstract

Background: The progression of neurological disability in human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1)associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) remains undefined. Objectives: To determine the time course of disability scores and to identify predictors of outcome among patients with HAM/TSP.