NMOSD
Medical abbreviation · Neurology
| Stands for | Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
NMOSD stands for Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, a neurology abbreviation.
Autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that causes severe attacks of optic neuritis and long spinal cord inflammation, often with poor recovery. Most patients have antibodies against aquaporin-4, a water channel on astrocytes, which distinguishes it from multiple sclerosis.
Example: Bilateral optic neuritis and a 6-segment cervical cord lesion, AQP4-IgG positive: NMOSD.
Usage notes
Formerly called Devic's disease. The discovery of the NMO-IgG antibody in 2004, soon shown to target aquaporin-4, established it as a separate disease from MS, which matters because some MS drugs can worsen NMOSD. Targeted therapies such as eculizumab, inebilizumab and satralizumab were approved in 2019 and 2020. It disproportionately affects women and people of Asian and African ancestry. MOG antibody disease (MOGAD) is a related but distinct condition.
Related abbreviations
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- NIHSS – National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale
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- OCB – Oligoclonal bands
- PCom – Posterior communicating artery
- PCS – Post-concussion syndrome
- PD – Parkinson's disease
- PICA – Posterior inferior cerebellar artery
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This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.