Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders with and without connective tissue disorders.

Background: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) often coexist with connective tissue disorders (CTD). The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the features of NMOSD with and without CTD.

Methods: NMOSD patients with (n = 18) and without CTD (n = 39) were enrolled, and the clinical, laboratory, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of the two groups were assessed.

Results: Most of the demographic and clinical features examined were similar between NMOSD patients with and without CTD. Serum immunoglobulin G (IgG), percentage of γ-globulin and seropositivity for several other autoantibodies were significantly elevated in NMOSD patients with CTD (P < 0.05). NMOSD with CTD was marked by longer spinal cord lesions and a lower frequency of short transverse myelitis (TM) than NMOSD without CTD (P < 0.05). NMOSD with CTD also featured more T1 hypointensity and T2 bright spotty lesions (BSLs) on MRI than NMOSD without CTD (P = 0.001 and 0.011, respectively). There were no other differences in laboratory, MRI and clinical characteristics between different NMOSD subtypes.

Conclusions: A few characteristics differed between NMOSD with and without CTD. NMOSD patients with CTD had higher serum IgG, longer spinal cord lesions, a lower frequency of short TM and more T1 hypointensity and T2 BSLs on spinal MRI than NMOSD patients without CTD.