Abstract
Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an acute multifocal or diffuse inflammatory demyelinating disease of human central nervous system (CNS), which usually has a monophasic course. ADEM affects the white and gray matters of the brain and spinal cord and is more frequent in pediatric population than adults. It commonly occurs following systemic infections or vaccination but spontaneous cases exist and have been reported. Clinically, there are resemblances among ADEM, multiple sclerosis (MS), and neuromyelitis optica (NMO); however, the pathophysiology, although not fully understood, does differ in each of them. Since the ADEM lesions are widespread throughout the CNS, its clinical manifestations vary. Recently, clinical diagnostic criteria have been devised for pediatric ADEM but remain less clearly defined in adults. The authors review and present the most recent clinical features, diagnostic criteria, pathophysiology, and management of these patients.
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Hussein, O., Minagar, A. (2017). Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis: Clinical Features, Pathophysiology, and Clinical Management. In: Minagar, A., Alexander, J. (eds) Inflammatory Disorders of the Nervous System. Current Clinical Neurology. Humana Press, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51220-4_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51220-4_7
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