en Neurology Neurology Case Series Case Series <p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="color:#0000FF;"><strong><em>Background: </em></strong></span>Multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating processes are sometimes difficult to differentiate from the neurological involvement in autoimmune diseases. Distinguishing multiple sclerosis from other lesions due to autoimmune diseases is crucial to avoid unsuitable or delayed treatments.<br> <span style="color:#0000FF;"><strong><em>Methods: </em></strong></span>Charts of 6 patients diagnosed with mimicking multiple sclerosis between 1996 and 2014 were retrospectively assessed.<br> <span style="color:#0000FF;"><strong><em>Results: </em></strong></span>The mean age at diagnosis was 35&plusmn;7 years. The most commonly neurological manifestation at onset was paraparesis due to transverse myelopathy and uni/bilateral optic neuropathy. All our patients suffered from recurrent episodes of optic neuritis with a mean lag time of 12 months. Other initial presenting neurological manifestations in our patients included ataxic gait and pyramidal syndrome. Systemic symptoms occurred a long time before or after their initial neurological presentation. All patients had numerous T2 hyperintense lesions in the periventricular white matter and spinal cord with contrast enhancement. The antibodies tests revealed the presence of significant amounts of anti-nuclear antibodies. The anti-phospholipid antibodies were negative in all patients. All patients were treated with corticosteroid therapy and neurological features were cleared in all cases.<br> <span style="color:#0000FF;"><strong><em>Conclusion: </em></strong></span>Multiple sclerosis, other myelitis and optic neuritis, are sometimes difficult to differentiate from CNS involvement in autoimmune disease. Indeed, the clinical presentation, immunological profile and MRI lesions may be similar.</span></span></p> multiple sclerosis, autoimmne disease, optic neurits 321 328 http://caspjim.com/browse.php?a_code=A-10-615-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Raida Ben Salah raidabensalah@yahoo.fr 100319475328460010039 100319475328460010039 Yes Department of Internal Medicine, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax-Tunisie Yosra Cherif raidabensalahh@yahoo.fr 100319475328460010040 100319475328460010040 No Department of Internal Medicine, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax-Tunisie Feten Frikha fetenfr@yahoo.fr 100319475328460010041 100319475328460010041 No Department of Internal Medicine, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax-Tunisie Chifa Dammak chifdamk@gmail.fr 100319475328460010042 100319475328460010042 No Department of Internal Medicine, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax-Tunisie Mouna Snoussi snoussimn@yahoo.fr 100319475328460010043 100319475328460010043 No Department of Internal Medicine, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax-Tunisie Moez Jallouli 100319475328460010044 100319475328460010044 No Department of Internal Medicine, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax-Tunisie Sameh Marzouk 100319475328460010045 100319475328460010045 No Department of Internal Medicine, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax-Tunisie Mhiri Chokri 100319475328460010046 100319475328460010046 No Department of Neurology, Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax-Tunisie. Zouhir Bahloul zouhir@yahoo.fr 100319475328460010047 100319475328460010047 No Department of Internal Medicine, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax-Tunisie