Characterizing the clinical, radiological and serological features of children diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder at pediatric neurology unit

Background. Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder is a rare autoimmune disease with a chronic inflammatory demyelinating characteristics that affects the central nervous. The aim of the study is to characterize the clinical, serological and radiological features of neuromyelitis optica disease in a sample of children from Iraq. Methods. A cross-sectional descriptive study has been carried out in the period from August 2019 to September 2020, in pediatric neurology ward in Children Welfare Teaching Hospital, Baghdad. In 12 retrospectively gathered cases, the medical registration of the ward was assessed. A total of 13 patients, aged 3-16 years were included. Results. Among the patients, girls represented 61.5% (8), and the females: males ration was (1.6:1). The patients' ages ranged from 3 to 16 years (mean 9.3 ± 4.02 years). All patients younger than 6 years were AQP-ve, in contrast to 15.3% in those older than 6 years. Negative AQP patients equally distributed between males and females. While females predominated in those with AQP positive status (5,71.4%). Weakness of the limbs and sphincteric disturbance were the first two common clinical features in both AQP positive and negative patients. The three most common brain sites insulted were deep white matter (10, 76.9%), periaqueductal area (5, 38.4%), and brainstem (4, 30.7%). All patients showed long spinal lesions, affecting predominantly the cervico-thoracic (61.53%). Conclusion. The demographic characteristics of the present cohort were comparative to that reported in the literature. Transverse myelitis phenotype was the most common and consistent one. Vomiting was more common in AQP +ve patients.