Mayo Clinic Neurologist Reports: “Thousands of NMO Patients are Misdiagnosed with

By Kelley Luckstein

Thousands of Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) patients are potentially being misdiagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), according to Mayo Clinic Neurologist Sean Pittock, M.D., largely due to lack of awareness of NMO within the medical community. Dr. Pittock shared this finding with more than 50 of the world's leading doctors and medical researchers - from Harvard to Oxford – who gathered at the 2009 NMO Roundtable Conference, sponsored by the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation.

NMO is a rare and debilitating disease that attacks the optic nerves and spinal cord, often causing vision loss, paralysis of legs and arms, and sensory disturbances. The Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation has brought together these researchers to

help find a cure for this rare disease.

NewsBlaze, 11/11/09