Table 2.
Initial Diagnostic Evaluation of All Children With a Suspected Central Nervous System Demyelinating Disorder
| Test/Procedure | No. of Physicians Who Always Order This Test/Total No. of Respondents (%)
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Polyregional Demyelination With Encephalopathy | Myelitis | Optic Neuritis | |
| Brain magnetic resonance imaging | 34/35 (97) | 33/35 (94) | 35/35 (100) |
| Complete blood count | 33/34 (97) | 30/34 (88) | 30/34 (88) |
| Cerebrospinal fluid routine studies | 34/35 (97) | 34/35 (97) | 24/35 (69) |
| Cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal bands | 33/35 (94) | 33/35 (94) | 24/35 (69) |
| Cerebrospinal fluid immunoglobulin G index | 32/34 (94) | 33/35 (94) | 23/35 (66) |
| Basic metabolic panel | 32/34 (92) | 29/35 (83) | 27/34 (79) |
| Erythrocyte sedimentation rate | 30/34 (88) | 26/34 (77) | 27/33 (82) |
| Cerebrospinal fluid immunoglobulin G synthesis rate | 29/35 (83) | 28/35 (80) | 20/34 (59) |
| Liver function tests | 28/34 (82) | 27/34 (79) | 23/34 (68) |
| Antinuclear antibody | 26/35 (74) | 26/35 (74) | 26/35 (74) |
| Angiotensin-converting enzyme | 23/34 (68) | 22/34 (65) | 23/34 (68) |
| Urinalysis | 22/34 (65) | 22/34 (65) | <50% |
| C-reactive protein | 21/33 (64) | 24/34 (71) | 22/34 (65) |
| Spine magnetic resonance imaging | 20/35 (57) | 34/35 (97) | 19/35 (54) |
| Epstein-Barr virus titers | 19/34 (56) | 18/34 (53) | <50% |
| Thyroid-stimulating hormone | 19/35 (54) | 18/34 (53) | 19/33 (58) |
| Serum B12 level | 19/35 (54) | 25/35 (71) | 20/35 (57) |
| Serum Folate level | 18/34 (53) | 22/34 (65) | 18/34 (53) |
| Cerebrospinal fluid myelin basic protein | 16/33 (49) | 17/34 (50) | 12/33 (36) |
| Ophthalmology exam | 16/34 (47) | 13/34 (38) | 29/34 (85) |
| Neuromyelitis optica immunoglobulin G antibody | 3/35 (17) | 19/35 (54) | 13/35 (37) |