Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an immunological disease which effects the white-matter of central nervous system (CNS) and which forms acute demyelinating multifocal lesions. Cases usually apply with neurological findings after a viral infection (CMV, EBV, mumps, measles) or inoculation. Mortality differs between 3-10 %. Because of unisolation of microorganism from brain tissue and seeing after inactive viral vaccine we think that immune mechanisms take part of role in pathogenesis. In CNS, it is assumed that immune damage is formed by T lymphocytes sensible to myeline. It is so
rare under 2-years. Clinical findigs are fever, headache, absent-minding, seizures, optic neuropaty, myelithis, hemiparesia. In diagnosis, the most important finding is bilateral, more than one and usually non-simetric signal increase areas in MR (T2-weighted). In cerebrospinal fluid, protein increase and mononuclear cells can be seen or it can be normal.
In treatment, we use steroids, intravenous immunglobulin (IVIG) and plasmaferesis. In this study we presented three cases of ADEM who applied to our clinic of neurology with the information of literatures.

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