Marburg Variant Of Multiple Sclerosis Research Articles

Marburg variant of multiple sclerosis masquerading as glioma: a case report

Marburg variant of multiple sclerosis is a rare demyelinating disease with a rapid and often fulminant course. It may disguise as a cerebral ring-enhancing lesion, hence presenting a diagnostic dilemma. Treatment may be challenging due to its rarity, aggressive course and dearth of diagnostic facilities in our environment. To the authors´ best knowledge, this is the first reported case of the Marburg variant of multiple sclerosis in sub-Saharan Africa. We present a 35-year-old woman with clinical and radiological features of intracranial space-occupying lesion who had two recurrences over four months despite total gross excisions. The fulminant, recurrent nature of this disease, coupled with positive oligoclonal bands, led to the Marburg variant of multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Physicians saddled with managing neurological diseases should consider this a differential diagnosis, especially when the clinical course and laboratory findings have ruled out more common neoplastic and infective causes.

Rapidly Progressive Demyelinating Disease Secondary to the Marburg Variant of Multiple Sclerosis: A Case Report (P9-4.004)

Rapidly Progressive Demyelinating Disease Secondary to the Marburg Variant of Multiple Sclerosis: A Case Report (P9-4.004)

Case Report: Successful Stabilization of Marburg Variant Multiple Sclerosis With Ocrelizumab Following High-Dose Cyclophosphamide Rescue

The Marburg variant of multiple sclerosis (Marburg MS) is the most aggressive form of MS, often leading to death soon after onset. Here we describe the case of a 26-year-old Marburg MS patient presenting with severe neurological deficits requiring intensive care. In spite of more than 100 gadolinium-enhancing MRI lesions, the patient recovered almost completely upon high-dose cyclophosphamide (HiCy) rescue treatment (four consecutive days with 50 mg/kg/day, cumulative absolute dose of 14 g). Following the acute treatment, her disease was stabilized by B cell depletion using ocrelizumab. Clinical amelioration was reflected by a decrease of MRI activity and a marked decline of serum neurofilament light chain levels. HiCy rescue treatment followed by ocrelizumab as a maintenance therapy prevented permanent disability and achieved an almost complete clinical and drastic radiological improvement in this Marburg MS patient.

An Autopsy Case of the Marburg Variant of Multiple Sclerosis (Acute Multiple Sclerosis)

We herein report an autopsy case of the Marburg variant of multiple sclerosis (MS). A 29-year-old woman developed acute and progressive neurological symptoms. A diagnosis of MS was suspected based on the patient's clinical background and brain MRI findings and the lack of evidence of malignancy on a brain biopsy. Despite the administration of typical treatment for MS, a fatal outcome occurred three months after disease onset. The autopsy revealed multiple inflammatory demyelinating lesions in the central nervous system. In addition, two noteworthy histopathological features were observed compared with prototypical MS. We evaluate the pathogenic differences between the Marburg type and prototypical MS by discussing the neuropathology and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings of our case.

Idiopathic inflammatory-demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system

Idiopathic inflammatory-demyelinating diseases (IIDDs) include a broad spectrum of central nervous system disorders that can usually be differentiated on the basis of clinical, imaging, laboratory and pathological findings. However, there can be a considerable overlap between at least some of these disorders, leading to misdiagnoses or diagnostic uncertainty. The relapsing-remitting and secondary progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) are the most common IIDDs. Other MS phenotypes include those with a progressive course from onset (primary progressive and progressive relapsing) or with a benign course continuing for years after onset (benign MS). Uncommon forms of IIDDs can be classified clinically into: (1) fulminant or acute IIDDs, such as the Marburg variant of MS, Baló's concentric sclerosis, Schilder's disease, and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis; (2) monosymptomatic IIDDs, such as those involving the spinal cord (transverse myelitis), optic nerve (optic neuritis) or brainstem and cerebellum; and (3) IIDDs with a restricted topographical distribution, including Devic's neuromyelitis optica, recurrent optic neuritis and relapsing transverse myelitis. Other forms of IIDD, which are classified clinically and radiologically as pseudotumoral, can have different forms of presentation and clinical courses. Although some of these uncommon IIDDs are variants of MS, others probably correspond to different entities. MR imaging of the brain and spine is the imaging technique of choice for diagnosing these disorders, and together with the clinical and laboratory findings can accurately classify them. Precise classification of these disorders may have relevant prognostic and treatment implications, and might be helpful in distinguishing them from tumoral or infectious lesions, avoiding unnecessary aggressive diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.