Brenda Banwell, MD – The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia:
NMO, or neuromyelitis optica, is typically an inflammatory disorder that affects the optic nerves, spinal cord, and the brain. When the optic nerve is affected, patients experience visual loss, which can be quite severe. When the spine is, in fact, impacted, patients can have weakness or even paralysis, difficulty with bladder control and coordination of movements. When the brain is involved, there are specific brain areas that are more commonly involved in NMO, and these areas lead to some unusual symptoms such as hiccups, persistent nausea or vomiting. And sometimes, and particularly in children, to a presentation where the patient may be extremely sleepy, hard to wake up, or even in severe patients, almost comatose.