The Improvement of the Outcome of Osmotic Demyelination Syndrome by Plasma Exchange

A 71-year-old Japanese woman presented with progressive fatigue, lethargy, dysarthria and a gait disorder. Her laboratory data revealed hyponatremia (Na 101 mEq/L), and we started correcting her serum sodium level. Within a few days, she became comatose, bedridden, and was intubated. We diagnosed osmotic demyelination syndrome (ODS) and started performing plasma exchange (PE) on the 39th day of hospitalization. She fully recovered after starting PE, and was discharged on foot unassisted. PE can be a beneficial treatment in patients with chronic ODS.