Opsoclonus Myoclonus Syndrome (OMS) is a rare, orphan disease primarily impacting children between the ages of 1-5 years old. OMS is an autoimmune disease suspected to occur when the immune system tries to battle a cancer and gets confused, attacking the brain instead. Left untreated, OMS warriors will likely have deficiencies in speech, physical activities, learning, and other general life skills.
Based upon responses from 123 patients in our OMS Patient Reported Registry, we found the median age of OMS onset is 18 months.
Updated June 2018.
- Loss of balance
- Myoclonus
- Opsoclonus
- Tremors
- Sleep disturbances
Updated June 2018.
Yes, OMS can be misdiagnosed. However, we are encouraged by the data provided from the NORD Patient Reported Natural History Study on OMS. We find that over the years, the likelihood of proper diagnosis is trending favorably so that now, a patient is twice as likely to have a proper initial OMS diagnosis than the outcomes prior to 2010.
Updated July 2018
YES! Responses from a caregiver survey show that 60% of OMS warriors have had a neuroblastoma or other cancer detected, while 40% have not.
As shown on the graph, based upon the data provided from the NORD Patient Reported Natural History Study on OMS, we found that OMS impacts girls more often at 56% versus 44% for boys.
Updated 1/8/2018
Leading hospitals in the United States to diagnose and treat OMS include:
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
- Boston Children’s Hospital
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- Texas Children’s Hospital
- Seattle Children’s Hospital
- Sloan Kettering New York
Leading hospitals in Europe include:
- London
- Zurich
- Germany
In 2022, an OMS consensus statement was published by eighteen leading OMS specialists from around the world. Please refer to this publication on treatment protocol – Diagnosis and Management of Opsoclonus-Myoclonus-Ataxia Syndrome in Children | Neurology Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation
The late Dr. Michael Pranzatelli’s website is now maintained by OMSLife at www.omsusa.org.
NORD has OMS information at Opsoclonus-Myoclonus-Ataxia Syndrome – Symptoms, Causes, Treatment | NORD (rarediseases.org)
The OMSLife Foundation maintains a wiki with valuable information that has been collected from OMS caregivers over the years. http:\\wiki.omslife.org.
In Europe, visit the Dancing Eyes Syndrome Support Trust at http://www.dancingeyes.org.uk/