A rare Demyelinating Disease: cause of acute hemiparesis in a young male

Abstract

Demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system are frequently encountered pathological entities; Multiple Sclerosis (MS) being the most common. Atypical forms of demyelinating diseases such as tumefactive demyelination run an aggressive course, masquerading MS but without classical features of MS. These aggressive entities represent a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for physicians. The manifestations of a demyelinating disease are protean. This case was fascinating for two reasons: the diagnostic challenge it posed in the face of different etiologies of a demyelinating disease and the rapid response to plasma exchange and rituximab therapy in the acute phase of the disease.