NEUROPSYCHIATRIC FEATURES OF ACUTE DISSEMINATED ENCEPHALOMYELITIS - AREVIEW

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis is a disorder associated with sig nificant morbidity and mortality. A description and literature review are presented to focus attention on the myriad neuropsychiatric manife stations of this disease. Common psychiatric symptoms include lethargy , irritability, and confusion. Ataxia, seizures, and other signs repre senting involvement of various areas of the brain and spinal cord are common neurologic presentations. The cerebrospinal fluid shows only no nspecific abnormalities, whereas magnetic resonance imaging may show v arious lesions in the white matter representing demyelination. The tre atment of choice is steroids, but there can be significant residual se quelae of the disease, including intellectual and behavioral abnormali ties.