Benign-onset acute disseminated encephalomyelitis: A report on two cases

Abstract

The signs and symptoms of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis are heterogeneous and dependent on the location and severity of the inflammatory process. The meningoencephalitic presentation may include meningism, impaired consciousness (occasionally leading to coma), seizures and confusion, or behavioral disturbances. Multifocal neurological features include a combination of optic neuritis, visual field defects, cranial neuropathy, sensorimotor impairment, ataxia, aphasia, and involuntary movements. One definition of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis is "an initial clinical event with a presumed inflammatory and demyelinating cause, with acute or sub-acute onset affecting multifocal areas of the central nervous system". Patients with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis frequently suffer from seizures, disturbances of consciousness, fever, and headaches, and occasionally there are focal signs and symptoms. Here, we report on two cases who presented with different symptoms, but the clinical findings that the patients showed were benign