Santos, EMoura, JSamões, RSousa, APMendonça, TAbreu, PGuimarães, JCorreia, IDurães, JSousa, LFerreira, Jde Sá, JSousa, FSequeira, MCorreia, ASAndré, ALBasílio, CArenga, MBrás Marques, IPerdigão, SAlves, ISantos, MSalgado, VPalos, AGuerreiro, RIsidoro, LBoleixa, DCarneiro, PNeves, EMartins Silva, AGonçalves, GSá, MJ2023-02-202023-02-202022Mult Scler Relat Disord . 2022 Jul;63:103845.http://hdl.handle.net/10400.17/4413Introduction: Several neuroimmunological disorders have distinct phenotypes according to the age of onset, as in multiple sclerosis or myasthenia gravis. It is also described that late onset NMOSD (LONMOSD) has a different phenotype. Objective: To describe the clinical/demographic characteristics of the LONMOSD and distinguish them from those with early onset (EONMOSD). Methods: From a nationwide Portuguese NMOSD study we analyzed the clinical/demographic characteristics of the LONMOSD. Results: From the 180 Portuguese patients 45 had disease onset after 50 years old, 80% were female. 23 had anti-AQP4 antibodies (51.1%), 13 anti-MOG antibodies (28.9%) and 9 were double seronegative (20.0%). The most common presenting phenotypes in LONMOSD were transverse myelitis (53.3%) and optic neuritis (26.7%), without difference from EONMOSD (p = 0.074). The mean EDSS for LONMOSD was 6.0 (SD=2.8), after a mean follow-up time of 4.58 (SD=4.47) years, which was significantly greater than the mean EDSS of EONMOSD (3.25, SD=1.80)(p = 0.022). Anti-AQP4 antibodies positive LONMOSD patients had increased disability compared to anti-MOG antibodies positive LONMOSD (p = 0.022). The survival analysis showed a reduced time to use a cane for LONMOSD, irrespective of serostatus (p<0.001). Conclusions: LONMOSD has increased disability and faster progression, despite no differences in the presenting clinical phenotype were seen in our cohort.engCHLC NEUAquaporin 4HumansMaleFemaleAutoantibodiesMyelitis, Transverse*Neuromyelitis Optica* / epidemiologyPortugal / epidemiologyjournal article10.1016/j.msard.2022.103845