A case report of recurrent optic neuritis in neuromyelitis optica

This report presents a clinical case of complex differential diagnosis of optical neuritis in demyelinating disease (multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica). We observed 5 relapses of optic neuritis within 4 years from the onset of the disease, in the absence of both clinical and neuroimaging signs of myelitis. The diagnosis of neuromyelitis optica became valid only after the neurologist identified motor symptoms and the corresponding criteria on the MRI picture. Recurrent optic neuritis, especially bilateral with incomplete recovery of visual functions (despite the absence of acute myelitis and postrema area syndrome and a negative blood test for AQP4-IgG) requires special caution of the doctor and can be considered as a potential case of Devic’s neuromyelitis optica.