Multiple sclerosis, solitary sclerosis or something else?

Background:Inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system represent a wide spectrum of entities and their classification cannot currently be regarded complete.Objective:Our aim is to describe a series of patients presenting with progressive myelopathy associated to a single demyelinating lesion of the spinal cord.Methods:We identified the patients affected by chronic progressive spinal cord dysfunction related to a single spinal cord lesion not satisfying the diagnostic criteria for any of the currently defined diseases.Results:Seven females and one male were included. The median age at onset of symptoms was 53 years (range 42–68) and the median follow-up was 8 years (range 5–12). Brain and spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans detected only one single, circumscribed, T2 hyperintense, non-longitudinally extensive lesion at level of cervico-medullary junction or cervical cord, in the absence of Gadolinium enhancement or swelling. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination displayed ne...