A Case of Neuromyelitis Optica with Relapse Symptoms from Paroxysmal Pruritus

: We report the case of a 34-year-old woman who presented with neuromyelitis optica and paroxysmal pruritus. She noticed an itching sensation with no obvious rash in the right postauricular region. Seven days later, the pruritus changed to an abnormal, painful sensation. One month after the onset of the painful sensation, she was hospitalized due to abnormal sensations that extended along the right side of her body and extremities. A hyperintense area on T2-weighted imaging was accompanied by partial enhancement that extended from the lower medulla oblongata to the upper cervical spinal cord. The anti-aquaporin (AQP)-4 antibody was detected in serum. The patient had a history of optic neuritis. Therefore, neuromyelitis optica (NMO) was diagnosed. Her symptoms improved after intravenous and oral corticosteroid treatment. Itching attacks have been occasionally reported with multiple sclerosis, but many of these cases were described before the discovery of the anti-AQP4 antibody. Information on pruritus in serologically confirmed NMO is lacking. We should be aware that patients with NMO can experience recurrence that develops as pruritus.