Devic's disease before Devic: On the contribution of Friedrich Albin Schanz (1863–1923)

Aquaporin-4 antibody-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder triggered by herpes zoster: a case report and literature review

This paper presents the case of a 45-year-old woman who developed aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) approximately 6 weeks after a herpes zoster infection. Her initial symptoms included area postrema syndrome, which was marked by persistent nausea, vomiting, and belching. This report also provides a summary of the demographic and clinical features, disease progression, magnetic resonance imaging findings, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, treatment plans, and recovery outcomes of 11 patients-including this case and 10 others reported in the literature since 2008-who developed AQP4 antibody-positive NMOSD following herpes zoster infection. This review aims to improve clinicians' understanding of the characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of this disease. It also highlights the importance for pain management specialists to consider central pain and use the MIDNIGHTS or VINDψCATE mnemonic devices to systematically consider the differential diagnoses of a patient's new pain symptoms.

The history of neuromyelitis optica. Part 2: 'Spinal amaurosis', or how it all began

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) was long considered a clinical variant of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the discovery of a novel and pathogenic anti-astrocytic serum autoantibody targeting aquaporin-4 (termed NMO-IgG or AQP4-Ab), the most abundant water channel protein in the central nervous system, led to the recognition of NMO as a distinct disease entity in its own right and generated strong and persisting interest in the condition. NMO is now studied as a prototypic autoimmune disorder, which differs from MS in terms of immunopathogenesis, clinicoradiological presentation, optimum treatment, and prognosis. While the history of classic MS has been extensively studied, relatively little is known about the history of NMO. In Part 1 of this series we focused on the late 19th century, when the term 'neuromyelitis optica' was first coined, traced the term's origins and followed its meandering evolution throughout the 20th and into the 21st century. Here, in Part 2, we demonstrate that the peculiar concurrence of acute optic nerve and spinal cord affliction characteristic for NMO caught the attention of physicians much earlier than previously thought by re-presenting a number of very early cases of possible NMO that date back to the late 18th and early 19th century. In addition, we comprehensively discuss the pioneering concept of 'spinal amaurosis', which was introduced into the medical literature by ophthalmologists in the first half of the 19th century.

Devic's index case: A critical reappraisal - AQP4-IgG-mediated neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, or rather MOG encephalomyelitis?

In 1894, Eugène Devic (1858-1930) and his doctoral student Fernand Gault (1873-1936) reported on a patient with optic neuritis (ON) and myelitis and proposed the name "neuro-myélite optique" for this syndrome. Subsequently, Devic became the eponym of neuromyelitis optica (NMO), which was then referred to as "Devic's syndrome", "Devic's disease" or "Morbus Devic". Thereby, the case became a historical index case of NMO. For many decades little attention was paid to NMO, which most authors considered a clinical variant of multiple sclerosis. However, the discovery of pathogenic antibodies to aquaporin-4 at the beginning of the 21st century revived interest in the syndrome, and AQP4-IgG-positive NMO spectrum disorders (NMOSD) are now studied as prototypical autoimmune diseases. More recently, antibodies to full-length myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) have been detected in patients with ON as well as in patients with myelitis, some of whom exhibit a clinical phenotype very similar to that described by Devic. This raises the question of whether Devic's patient might have suffered from MOG encephalomyelitis rather than classic NMOSD. In this article, we summarise and discuss the available evidence for and against that hypothesis. We also discuss differential diagnoses and the question whether Devic's patient, who worked as a hatter and had initially been admitted for nervous hyperexcitability and tremor, might have suffered from co-existing erethism ('mad hatter disease'), which is caused by chronic occupational exposure to mercury.

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders: still evolving and broadening

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The diagnostic criteria of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) has been revised in the past 20 years and pathological and therapeutic data have been accumulated. This review provides an overview of evolution and broadening of the concept of NMOSD.

RECENT FINDINGS

NMOSD encompassing brain syndrome as well as optic neuritis and acute myelitis is now classified into aquaporine-4 (AQP)-antibody-seropositive and aquaporine-4 (AQP)-antibody-seronegative diseases, detecting more patients earlier than before. Seronegative NMOSD includes cases of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-antibody-seropositive disease with its unique clinical spectrum somewhat different from AQP4-antibody-seropositive NMOSD. Pathologically, NMOSD includes AQP4-antibody-seropositive autoimmune astrocytopathic disease and MOG-antibody-seropositive inflammatory demyelinating disease. Double seronegative group needs further research. Therapeutic options of NMOSD has taken shape and first-ever clinical trials of monoclonal antibodies have been done. In retrospect, relapsing NMO in the studies preceding the discovery of AQP4-antibody had features of AQP4-antibody-seropositive NMO whereas monophasic NMO was similar to AQP4-antibody-seronegative/MOG-antibody-seropositive NMO.

SUMMARY

The clinical, pathological and therapeutic concepts of NMOSD have evolved and broadened over the last two decades following the detection of AQP4 antibodies and MOG antibodies in the patients. Double seronegative NMOSD is a current research focus, but now we may need to reconsider how NMOSD should be defined.