Encephalomyelitis Explained

Encephalomyelitis is inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Various types of encephalomyelitis include:

• Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis or postinfectious encephalomyelitis, a demyelinating disease of the brain and spinal cord, possibly triggered by viral infection.
• Encephalomyelitis disseminata, a synonym for multiple sclerosis.
• AntiMOG associated encephalomyelitis, one of the underlying conditions for the phenotype neuromyelitis optica^{[1] [2]} and in general all the spectrum of MOG autoantibody-associated demyelinating diseases.^[3]
• Eastern equine encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, and Western equine encephalitis: a group of viral illnesses that can affect horses and humans; collectively termed Equine encephalitis.
• Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of brain inflammation.
• Progressive encephalomyelitis with rigidity and myoclonus (PERM) – A kind of stiff person syndrome.
• AIDS-related encephalomyelitis, caused by opportunistic Human T-lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) infection.^[4]

See also

• Chronic fatigue syndrome, sometimes called myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Notes and References

1. Pröbstel AK et al. Anti-MOG antibodies are present in a subgroup of patients with a neuromyelitis optica phenotype. J Neuroinflammation. 2015 Mar 8;12(1):46.
2. Melania Spadaro et al. Histopathology and clinical course of MOG-antibody-associated encephalomyelitis. Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology Volume 2, Issue 3, pages 295–301, March 2015
3. Reindl M, Di Pauli F, Rostásy K, Berger T. The spectrum of MOG autoantibody-associated demyelinating diseases. Nat Rev Neurol. 2013 Aug;9(8):455-61. . Epub 2013 Jun 25.
4. S. M. de la Monte, MD, MPH, D. D. Ho, MD, R. T. Schooley, MD, M. S. Hirsch, MD and E. P. Richardson Jr., MD Subacute encephalomyelitis of AIDS and its relation to HTLV‐III infection Neurology April 1987 vol. 37 no. 4 562