When Mrs G presented to the emergency room, clinical examination with transverse spinal cord syndrome, magnetic resonance imaging, and her complete clinical remission after plasmapheresis as well as lack of response to treatment pointed to longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis, representing an inaugural or limited form of neuromyelitis optica. The diagnosis was confirmed by detection of anti-aquaporin 4 (AQP4) antibodies. In the rapid responses Mike Boggild states that a variety of other autoantibodies are often seen within the spectrum of neuromyelitis optica disorders.Conversely, several cases of pregnancy related myelitis associated with lupus erythematosus have been reported. Some of them might have been misclassified as lupus because the patient had raised antinuclear antibody titres.
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