Publications by authors named "P Zara"
Introduction: Environmental factors may contribute to myasthenia gravis (MG) development, sometimes with seasonal patterns of exposure. However, whether seasonality has an impact on MG incidence remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between seasonality and MG onset.
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- The study investigates the incidence and prevalence of aquaporin-4-IgG-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (AQP4-IgG+NMOSD) in Sardinia over a ten-year period (2013-2022), where 45 cases were identified to capture this rare central nervous system disease.
- Results show an increase in prevalence from 1.1 to 2.6 per 100,000 from 2013 to 2022, with a predominance of females (9:1 ratio) and a median age of 51 years at diagnosis.
- Findings suggest that while Sardinia has a high risk for multiple sclerosis, the incidence of AQP4-IgG+
Article Synopsis
- * Researchers analyzed 202 MG patients from 2010 to 2019, finding that the incidence was 32.6/million and prevalence was 55.3/100,000, with the majority testing positive for acetylcholine receptor antibodies.
- * The findings suggest that Sardinia has a higher prevalence of MG than the European average for rare diseases, highlighting the need to explore environmental and genetic factors contributing to this increased risk.
Article Synopsis
- Differentiating neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) from similar conditions is essential to prevent misdiagnosis, particularly without the presence of aquaporin-4-IgG.* -
- A systematic review of 68 cases identified various non-demyelinating disorders that were misdiagnosed as NMOSD, with 82% of patients not meeting the 2015 diagnostic criteria; common symptoms included myelopathy and optic neuropathy.* -
- Key red flags for misdiagnosis included absence of cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis, lack of response to immunotherapy, progressive disease course, and no gadolinium enhancement in MRI scans.*