Optic neuromyelitis optica, which is usually not completely curable, requires long-term application of medication and is prone to recurrent attacks. The disease is a demyelinating disease of the white matter of the central nervous system and can be clinically classified into two types: monophasic and relapsing. Patients with the monophasic type have a relatively good prognosis, while those with the relapsing type have a poor prognosis. The signs and symptoms of neurological deficits left in the monophasic type, such as visual, muscle, and sensory dysfunction, generally do not progress or recur, and their 5-year survival rate is approximately 90%. Most patients with the relapsed form progress in a stepwise fashion and can develop severe disability such as total blindness or paraplegia. About half of the patients have permanent and severe visual impairment in at least one eye or are unable to walk due to paraplegia or monoplegia within 5 years of onset. The 5-year survival rate for patients with recurrent disease is approximately 68%, and 1/3 of patients die of respiratory failure.