There was a recent program aired on Canadian TV regarding patients with NMO (neuromyelitis optica or Devic's Disease) being misdiagnosed with MS.

Here is the program:

Dangerous Diagnosis

http://www.globalnews.ca/16x9/video/dangerous%20diagnosis/video.html?v=2165006087&p=1&s=dd#november5/video

NMO is a bit different than MS, in that it is specific to demyelination of the optic nerve and spinal cord, not brain tissue.  

But it has been related to CCSVI- and was included in the MS category by Zivadinov at BNAC-

The highest prevalence of CCSVI was seen in relapsing primary-progressive MS (89.4 percent), followed by non-relapsing secondary-progressive MS (67.2 percent), NMO (66.6 percent), primary-progressive MS (54.5 percent) and relapsing-remitting MS (49.2 percent). CCSVI prevalence was substantially higher in progressive MS than in non-progressive MS patients. In addition, patients with a progressive MS disease subtype had higher CCSVI prevalence than those with non-progressive MS.

http://www.sciencenewsline.com/medicine/2011041413000020.html 

In the program linked above, there is the story of a mother who is working hard to bring doctors together, to help figure out NMO for her daughter.  Her name is Victoria Jackson, and she lives in San Diego--

Hubbard Foundation, I'm sending out the bat signal.  I note that she has many CCSVI-skeptical MS specialists on her advisory board, but she seems to be open to all avenues to help her child.  I'm sure her story will resonate with the Hubbards....

Here is her foundation, with more info on NMO:

http://www.guthyjacksonfoundation.org/

Could it be that the specific type of truncular venous malformation creates a different hemodynamic pattern in NMO?  Could blood flow to the brain be spared, while the optic nerve and spine are damaged more aggressively?   I know Rox has been looking into this with transverse myelitis....perhaps she can help us understand the connection.  

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001258029163

We need more research, and we need to bring foundations, care-givers, patients and doctors together....across all specialties.  I hope we can reach out to the NMO community.

Joan