Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis
Rare autoimmune demyelinating disease often triggered by infection.
The disease attacks central nervous system nerves and damages their myelin insulation, destroying white matter.[1] ADEM is an uncommon autoimmune condition characterized by abrupt, extensive inflammation affecting the brain and spinal cord.[1] In contrast to multiple sclerosis, which involves multiple relapses over time, ADEM typically presents as a single episode.[2]
Quick Facts
- Incidence
- 8 per 1,000,000 people per year
- Average age at onset
- 5 to 8 years old
- Sex ratio
- males and females almost equally
- Mortality rate
- up to 5%
- Full recovery rate
- 50 to 75% of cases
- Average recovery time
- one to six months
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
ADEM affects about 8 per 1,000,000 people per year, with most cases in children and adolescents averaging 5 to 8 years old.[3] A preceding antigenic challenge, such as viral infection or rarely vaccination, can be identified in approximately two-thirds of people.[4] The only vaccine proven related to ADEM is the Semple form of the rabies vaccine.[4] Death occurs in up to 5% of cases, while complete recovery is observed in 50% to 75% of individuals.[3]
High-dose intravenous corticosteroids, including methylprednisolone or dexamethasone, are the standard first-line therapy.[5]
What the research sources say
Michael Zandi, a senior author on the study, said "We're seeing things in the way Covid-19 affects the brain that we haven't seen before with other viruses."[6] The report added that some patients are left with long-term disability, while others can make a good recovery.[6] A 1993 book titled "Adverse Events Associated with Childhood Vaccines" was published by the National Academies Press.[7]
References
- Wikipedia, "Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis", Seminars in Pediatric Infectious Diseases, April 2003, p. 90–95; "Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis", Postgraduate Medical Journal, January 2003, p. 11–17; "Childhood autoimmune neurologic diseases of the central nervous system", Neurologic Clinics, November 2003, p. 745–64; "Post-vaccination encephalomyelitis: literature review and illustrative case", Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, December 2008, p. 1315–22; "Multiple sclerosis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, and en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in 228 patients: A retrospective, multicenter US study", Neurology, May 2016, p. 2085–93 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in childhood: epidemiologic, clinical and laboratory features", The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, August 2004, p. 756–64; "Clinical and neuroradiologic features of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in children", Neurology, May 2001, p. 1308–12; "Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in children: outcome and prognosis", Neuropediatrics, August 2003, p. 194–99; "Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis: a follow-up study of 40 adult patients", Neurology, May 2001, p. 1313–18 en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis: current controversies in diagnosis and outcome", Journal of Neurology, September 2015, p. 2013–24; "Post-dengue acute disseminated encephalomyelitis: A case report and meta-analysis", PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, June 2017; "Measles-induced encephalitis", QJM, March 2015, p. 177–82; "Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis in COVID 19- Systematic Review", Annals of the Romanian Society for Cell Biology, 2021-06-14, p. 11443–50; "Warning of serious brain disorders in people wi en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Outcome of severe encephalomyelitis in children: effect of high-dose methylprednisolone and immunoglobulins", Journal of Child Neurology, November 2002, p. 810–14 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Warning of serious brain disorders in people with mild coronavirus symptoms", The Guardian, 2020-07-08. facts only, no text reused. theguardian.com
- Open Library record, ISBN 9780309074964 ("Adverse Events Associated with Childhood Vaccines"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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