Objective To analyze clinical characteristics and MRI diagnostic value of neuro-optic myelitis (NMO). Methods 37 NMO patients treated in our hospital were selected as the research objects, gender, ages, history of autoimmune systemic disease, firstepisode and recurrence, clinical examination and image data of patients were collected. Imaging features and clinical characteristics of NMO were analyzed combined with MRI. Results In 37 NMO patients, there was a significant difference in morbidity in male and female patients (P<0.05), first symptom of eye symptoms 64.86% was significantly more than other first onset performance patients (P<0.05), there was a significant difference in proportion of abnormal thyroid function and normal patients (P<0.05), there was a significant difference in proportion of normal cerebrospinal fluid protein quantity and abnormal patients (P<0.05). In 37 NMO patients, there was 18 cases of medulla spinalis MRI lesion distribution cervical cord lesion (48.65%), 15 cases of thoracic cord lesion (40.54%), cervical and thoracic spinal cord simultaneously in 4 cases (10.81%), medulla spinalis MRI performance were more than 3 vertebral segments continuous long lesion, sagittal scan medulla spinalis normal thickness or thickening, segmental or diffusivity signal abnormity, showed T1WI low signal, T2WI high signal, signal even or uneven. In 37 NMO patients, there was 29 cases of middle head MRI abnormity (78.38%), including 12 cases of lesion subcortex and deep brain white matter, 6 cases of ventricle endyma around, 4 cases of callosum, 3 cases of cerebral ganglia, 3 cases of mesocephalon, 1 case of bulbus medullae, lesions were patchy, punctiform and nearly-circular; DWI did not see abnormal reinforcement or uneven reinforcement, showed equal signal or slightly high signal. Conclusion First symptom of most NMO patients are eye symptoms with abnormal thyroid function and higher cerebrospinal fluid protein quantity; medulla spinalis MRI can see cervical cord lesion, involved thoracic cord lesion, head MRI abnormity, MRI has an important value for clinical diagnosis of NMO.