Neuromyelitis Optica in Austria in 2011: To Bridge the Gap between Neuroepidemiological Research and Practice in a Study Population of 8.4 Million People

A, patients aged 16 to 53 years; B, patients aged 54 to 83 years.

Note, the data of the two ‘AQP4-ab negative’ patients were also presented here in Figure 1 to ensure full transparency. However, both ‘AQP4-ab negative’ patients have no ID numbers. The ID numbers were reserved for the included ‘AQP4-ab positive’ patients. Both ‘AQP4-ab negative’ patients were clearly marked as ‘AQP4-ab negative’ and were also not included in further analyses (e.g. Figure 2).

Dashed line, lifespan; bold line, disease duration; continuous bold vertical line, publication date of Lennon et al., Lancet Neurol 2004; continuous dashed vertical line, start of AQP4-Ab testing at the Innsbruck Medical University.

White circle, unilateral optic neuritis (ON); black circle, bilateral ON; square, longitudinally transverse myelitis (LETM); triangle, myelitis less than 3 vertebral segments; white rectangle (brain lesion); black rectangle, tumor-like lesion; all ON and LETM (or myelitis) were treated with intravenous methylprednisolone (ivMP), unless otherwise indicated. A dot within a circle or square indicates that in addition to ivMP PLEX was performed; a solitary black dot indicates PLEX apart from a relapse straight cross in green, rituximab (RTX); straight cross in orange, natalizumab; straight cross in blue, intravenous cyclophosphamide (CTX) or mitoxantrone (MXT); oblique cross in red, peroral immunsuppressive therapy with azathioprine (AZA) and/or prednsiolone (PRED) and/or mycophenolate (MMF) and/or methotrexate (MTX) and/or cyclosporine A (CSA) and/or CTX; oblique cross in purple, intravenous immunoglobuline (IVIG); oblique cross in grey, interferon beta; oblique cross in yellow, glatiramer-acetate.