Therapeutic plasma exchange for neuromyelitis optica attacks: Evidence and challenges from a real-world cohort from Brazil

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) can improve disability recovery after neuromyelitis optica spectrum disease (NMOSD) attacks, but its effectiveness and safety in Latin-American patients with access barriers and diverse ethnicity is underexplored. We carried out a retrospective cohort study with NMOSD patients that underwent TPE. 84 NMOSD attacks in 68 patients were evaluated. Despite a median 25-day delay from symptom onset to TPE, 65,5% of patients showed significant improvement. Adverse events occurred in 39% of patients, usually transitory and with no fatalities.

Source: Journal of Neuroimmunology - January 24, 2024 Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Guilherme Mello Ramos de Almeida, Roger Santana de Araujo, Bruno Batitucci Castrillo, Guilherme Diogo Silva, Ida Fortini, Marcia Rubia Rodrigues Gon çalves, Luiz Henrique Martins Castro, Nelson Hidekazu Tatsui, Tarso Adoni, Douglas Kazutoshi Sato, Samira Source Type: research