Publications by authors named "Andres Maria Villa"

Introduction: Optic neuritis (ON) is the inflammation of the optic nerve due in many cases, to a pathological immune response. Since its symptoms can be subtle, diagnosis is sometimes challenging. The value of complementary tests for diagnosis and prognosis of ON was demonstrated in retrospective analysis, but their utility in the acute period of ON has been scarcely studied.

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Background: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) is an increasing diagnostic and therapeutic challenge in Latin America (LATAM). Despite the heterogeneity of this population, ethnic and socioeconomic commonalities exist, and epidemiologic studies from the region have had a limited geographic and population outreach. Identification of some aspects from the entire region are lacking.

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Autoimmune encephalitis refers to a group of pathologies described in the last two decades, characterized by neuropsychiatric symptoms of subacute presentation, mediated by antibodies directed against neuronal membrane proteins. Within this group, encephalitis mediated by antibodies against the NMDA receptor of glutamate is a particular clinical entity, given that its expression is dominated by psychiatric symptoms that usually occur at the onset of the disease. In this paper we describe five cases of NMDA encephalitis in adult patients followed up in the last four years in a public hospital in the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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Systemic autoinflammatory diseases are genetic disorders characterized by seemingly unprovoked inflammation, without major involvement of the adaptive immune system. Among them it is recognized the TNF receptor associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS) caused by mutations in the TNFRSF1A gene and characterized by symptoms such as recurrent high fevers, rash, abdominal pain, arthralgia and myalgia. Recent studies have recognized the potential role of TNFRSF1A mutations in Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

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Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is an acquired immune-mediated neuropathy. It presents with a course of progression which may be slow and steady or step-wise or relapsing. Sensory ataxic polyneuropathy may be the only clinical manifestation of this disease.

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