Neuromyelitis optica (NMO; Devic’s syndrome) may be monophasic or show a relapsing course. The nosological limits of (NMO) remain controversial.

This paper reports a retrospective study of 9 Moroccan patients with Devic’s syndrome defined according to Wingerchuk’s and Weinscheinker’s criteria.

There were 6 women and 3 men whose average age was 39 years. Three patients presented with a monophasic and 6 with a relapsing form. The CSF was abnormal in 5. MRI of the brain was normal in 8. Signal abnormalities extended over more than 3 vertebral segments in 8. Infections were associated with the neurological disorder in half the patients.

These data are in accordance with those of the literature, though the frequency of associated infections in these patients is a new finding.

These represent the results of a study of the first North African series of NMO. The authors suggest that their cases of NMO may have particular features due to the high frequency of associated infections.

19 references.