Neuromyelitis optica (Devic syndrome) in a 12-year-old male with complete recovery following steroids.

Neuromyelitis optica is one of the rarest forms of central nervous system demyelinating disease. It is particularly infrequent in Western countries and complete recovery is rare. We report a 12-year-old boy with neuromyelitis optica which occurred shortly after an upper respiratory infection. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed several small areas of increased signal intensity within the cerebral and cerebellar white matter on T2-weighted images. The patient recovered completely following treatment with high-dose prednisone.