Progressive Demyelination in the Presence of Serum Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein-IgG: A Case Report

Progressive myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-associated demyelination mimicking leukodystrophy

BACKGROUND

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) may be associated with relapsing disease, but clinical progression independent of relapse activity is rare.

OBJECTIVES

To report progressive disease in a patient with MOGAD.

METHODS

A single retrospective case report.

RESULTS

At 4 years of age, the patient had a single episode of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. She remained well until age 17 years but over the next 9 years developed progressive spastic quadriparesis, cognitive and bulbar dysfunction. Brain imaging showed a leukodystrophy-like pattern of white matter abnormality with contrast enhancement at different time points. Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-IgG was repeatedly positive by live cell-based assay.

CONCLUSION

Secondary progression may be a rare presentation of MOG-IgG-associated disease.

Evidence for and against subclinical disease activity and progressive disease in MOG antibody disease and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease (MOGAD) and aquaporin-4 IgG seropositive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (AQP4-IgG+ NMOSD) are generally considered to be relapsing disorders, without clinical progression or subclinical disease activity outside of clinical relapses, in contrast to multiple sclerosis (MS). With advances in the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions, prolonged periods of remission without relapses can be achieved, and the question of whether progressive disease courses can occur has re-emerged. In this review, we focus on studies exploring evidence for and against relapse-independent clinical progression and/or subclinical disease activity in patients with MOGAD and AQP4-IgG+ NMOSD.

Clinical and Imaging Features of Patients With Encephalitic Symptoms and Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibodies

Background

Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-antibody (MOG-ab)-associated disease (MOGAD) has highly heterogenous clinical and imaging presentations, in which encephalitis is an important phenotype. In recent years, some atypical presentations in MOG-ab-associated encephalitis (MOG-E) have been increasingly reported but have not yet been described well. The aim of the study was to describe the clinical and imaging features of patients with MOG-E in our center. Atypical phenotypes would be reported, which is expected to expand the spectrum of MOGAD.

Methods

We reviewed medical records of 59 patients with MOGAD diagnosed in our center and identified cases who had ever experienced encephalitic symptoms. Three hundred ten patients with autoimmune encephalitis (AE) were also reviewed, and cases with positive MOG-ab were identified. Besides, patients with chronically progressive encephalitis were identified from 13 MOG-E and 310 AE patients. We collected demographic, clinical, laboratory, radiological, and outcome data to explore clinical and imaging characteristics in MOG-E, especially in the atypical phenotype of chronically progressive encephalitis.

Results

We identified 13 patients (7 males, 6 females) with MOG-E. The median age at onset was 33 years (range 13~62 years). Most (9/13, 69.2%) of patients showed acute or subacute onset of encephalitic symptoms. Brain MRI abnormalities were observed in all patients. The most common lesion locations on MRI were cortical/subcortical (11/13, 84.6%), deep/periventricular white matter (10/13, 76.9%) and corpus callosum (4/13, 30.8%). Brain MRI patterns were categorized into four phenotypes. The most common pattern was cortical encephalitis with leptomeningeal enhancement/brain atrophy (10/13, 76.9%). Eight (8/13, 61.5%) patients had a good response to immunotherapy. Four (4/13, 30.8%) patients with chronically progressive course were identified from MOG-E cohort. They showed leukodystrophy-like pattern, multifocal hazy lesions, or cortical encephalitis on MRI. With immunotherapy, they only showed mild or no improvement. We also identified four (4/310, 1.3%) patients with chronically progressive course from AE cohort. They had better outcomes than counterparts in MOG-E.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that encephalitic presentations in MOGAD had complex clinical patterns. Chronically progressive encephalitis may be a new phenotype of MOGAD. We recommend to test MOG-ab in subacute and chronic progressive dementia with leukodystrophy-like MRI lesions.

Ophthalmic manifestations of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-IgG-associated disorder other than optic neuritis: a systematic review

Background/Aims

Optic neuritis (ON) is the primary ophthalmic manifestation of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-IgG-associated disorder (MOGAD), but numerous reports have expanded the visual manifestations of this condition. The goal of this study was to synthesise the extensive literature on this topic to help ophthalmologists understand when testing for MOG-IgG should be considered.

Method

A systematic review of the English-language literature was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and searches were conducted using Ovid MEDLINE (from January 1, 1948 to April 1, 2020) and Ovid EMBASE (from January 1, 1947 to April 1, 2020). Inclusion criteria included studies describing non-isolated ON ophthalmic manifestations where cell-based assays were used for the detection of MOG antibodies.

Results

Fifty-one articles representing 62 patients with a median age of 32.0 (range 2–65), female gender (51%) and follow-up of 20.0 months (range: 1–240) were included. Twenty-nine patients had non-isolated ON afferent visual manifestations: uveitis, peripheral ulcerative keratitis, acute macular neuroretinopathy, neuroretinitis, venous stasis retinopathy, large preretinal macular haemorrhage, orbital inflammatory syndrome, orbital apex syndrome, optic perineuritis, papilloedema and homonymous visual field defects. Incomplete recovery of ON was associated with a case of Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy. Efferent ophthalmic manifestations included cranial neuropathies, internuclear ophthalmoplegia, central nystagmus, saccadic intrusions and ocular flutter. Cranial nerve involvement was secondary to enhancement of the cisternal portion or brainstem involvement. All included cases were treated with corticosteroids with 31% of cases requiring additional immunosuppressive therapy.

Conclusions

MOGAD has been associated with various afferent and efferent ophthalmic manifestations apart from isolated ON. Awareness of these findings may result in earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Resolution of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-IgG optic neuritis without treatment

BACKGROUND

Patients with MOG-IgG optic neuritis tend to present with severely comprised visual function during the acute phase of the disease. Treatment with corticosteroids is almost always used in the acute period to aid in visual recovery and there is limited data on the natural history without treatment.

METHODS

We present the case of a 45-year-old woman who developed right eye pain worse with eye movements and mildly blurred vision and was found to have optic disk edema with peripapillary hemorrhages. Her visual acuity was 20/20 and she had several depressed points on Humphrey visual field testing. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was normal and the orbits revealed very mild enhancement of the optic nerve/optic nerve sheath. MOG-IgG was positive in the serum (medium positivity). She was observed without treatment, the pain resolved and she felt her vision returned to normal within 2 months of onset.

CONCLUSIONS

MOG-IgG optic neuritis may present with relatively preserved visual function even at its nadir. Observation may be a reasonable strategy for these patients.