Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis.

There is no standard therapy for acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), and treatments are based on the analogy of the pathogenesis of ADEM with that of multiple sclerosis (MS), namely an inflammatory perivenular demyelination. High-dose intravenous corticosteroids, such as methylprednisolone, at a dosage standard for MS relapses have been commonly used. Plasmapheresis, beginning with a course of four to six plasma exchanges, has also been used, particularly when intravenous methylprednisolone has failed. Intravenous immunoglobulin is a third potential therapeutic modality.