Acute transverse myelitis in the emergency department: A case report and review of the literature

Acute transverse myelitis (ATM) is a neurologic condition that presents with bilateral lower extremity weakness and sensory loss associated with bowel and bladder dysfunction. Whereas the time of onset may be hours to days, the time to either partial or complete recovery may require months. The etiology is varied and may be idiopathic. Laboratory and radiographic evaluation may be nonrevealing. Corticosteriods have been used for treatment, but their efficacy is controversial. As illustrated by this case report, the essential aspect of the initial management of ATM is the elimination of potentially treatable causes.     

化痰通络法治疗脊髓炎后遗症

介绍魏品康教授治疗脊髓炎后遗症一则,以化痰通络法贯穿始终。     

Experimental myelitis caused by herpes simplex virus type 2 in C57BL/6N and BALB/cN mice

Intraperitoneal and intracranial inoculation of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV 2) into BALB/cN and C57BL/6N mice was carried out to induce experimental myelitis. The myelitis was clearly observed in C57BL/6N mice following intraperitoneal inoculation. Within 24 hours before death, the mice showed urinary and rectal incontinence and paraplegia of the hind legs. Randomly distributed, severe necrosis was demonstrated in the spinal cord, mainly at the lower cord. In BALB/cN mice the clinical symptoms were not clearly observed, as the mice died shortly after their onset. Although spinal cord necrosis was more prominent in C57BL/6N mice than BALB/cN mice, brain necrosis was only found in the latter, and not in the former. Both strains of mouse showed marked nuclear pyknosis of the nerve cells and slight nuclear pyknosis of the astrocytes in the brain where HSV 2 antigen was demonstrated immunohistochemically. The antigen was also detected in the necrotic spinal cord. In contrast, intracranial inoculation of the virus into both strains did not cause myelitis. Spinal cord necrosis was not demonstrated and virus DNA was not detected, by PCR, in spinal cord samples. In the brain, however, the virus was demonstrated by both PCR and immunohistochemistry.     

Acute-onset nontraumatic paraplegia in childhood: fibrocartilaginous embolism or acute myelitis?

Fibrocartilaginous embolus causing acute spinal cord infarction is a rare cause of acute-onset paraplegia or quadriplegia. Few cases of survivors have been reported in the neurosurgical literature, with most reports involving post-mortem or biopsy findings. There is little information on MRI findings in such patients. We present the youngest patient ever reported, and discuss the important differences between fibrocartilaginous embolus and acute myelitis of childhood. A 6-year-old girl with a history of back pain presented with sudden-onset nontraumatic paraplegia, with a clinical anterior spinal artery syndrome. Initial MRI scan revealed intervertebral disc disease at L1–2 and an incidental thoracic syrinx, but no cause for her acute-onset paraplegia was identified. Cerebrospinal fluid and other investigations were all negative. Sequential MRI scans revealed development of spinal cord expansion from T10 to the conus medullaris, with increased cord signal in the anterior aspect of the spinal cord. The intervertebral disc disease was unchanged. The imaging and clinical findings were caused by fibrocartilaginous embolus, which meant there was no need for spinal cord biopsy. The report describes the clinical and imaging criteria for diagnosis of fibrocartilaginous embolus, highlighting the case for avoiding an unnecessary biopsy. The clinical pattern in the paediatric group is discussed, with features differentiating it from acute myelitis of childhood. Received: 4 January 2000     

Infections of the Nervous System

Microorganisms can affect the entire neuraxis, producing a variety of neurologic complications that frequently entail prolonged hospitalizations and complicated treatment regimens. The spread of pathogens to new regions and the reemergence of opportunistic organisms in immunocompromised patients pose increasing challenges to health care professionals. Because rapid diagnosis and treatment may prevent long-term neurologic sequelae, providers should approach these diseases with a structured, neuroanatomic framework, incorporating a thorough history, examination, laboratory analysis, and neuroimaging in their clinical reasoning and decision-making.     

Lower motor neuron paralysis with extensive cord atrophy in parainfectious acute transverse myelitis

We describe a young patient of acute transverse myelitis (ATM) who developed true lower motor neuron (LMN) type flaccid paraplegia as a result of anterior horn cell damage in the region of cord inflammation that extended from conus upwards up to the D4 transverse level. We infer that flaccidity in acute phase of ATM is not always due to spinal shock and may represent true LMN paralysis particularly if the long segment myelits is severe and extending up to last spinal segment.     

A comparative study on clinical characterizations between acute myelitis onset of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disease and idiopathic transverse myelitis

ABSTRACT

Background/Aims

Both of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disease (NMOSDs) and idiopathic transverse myelitis (ITM) could present as acute transverse myelitis. However, long-term immunological treatment and prognosis are different for high recurrence of NMOSDs. In this study, we summarized clinical differences between acute attack myelitis of NMOSDs and ITM, we further screened serum auto-antibodies to help understand the two distinct clinical entities.     

急性横贯性脊髓炎预后影响因素的研究进展

急性横贯性脊髓炎(acute transverse myelitis,ATM)病因不明,目前多认为与感染后引起的自身免疫反应相关,部分患者于疫苗接种后发病。脊髓炎可引起脊髓水肿变软,导致病变平面以下运动、感觉等功能障碍。ATM患者的预后不一,从完全康复到致残,甚至死亡。大约1/3的患者恢复良好,1/3的患者恢复尚可,剩下1/3的患者病情很少或基本没有好转。ATM的预后取决于病变的严重程度及合并症的情况,但更精确的预测是困难的。