Objectives  We report a patient who had a working diagnosis of transverse myelitis secondary to a lupus exacerbation. As his clinical course evolved, continued vigilance clarified that he was in fact suffering from a nosocomial infection caused by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE). Methods  We performed a retrospective review of the patient's medical record. Results  Despite radiographic ...

A 7 years old boy presenting with acute flaccid paralysis after Varicella zoster infection was diagnosed as having acute transverse myelitis on MRI. He recovered fully after treatment with intravenous corticosteroids and acyclovir. The occurrence of this condition during or following Varicella infection is uncommon. There are previously very few reported cases of post-Varicella acute transverse...

The prognostic value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the syndrome of acute transverse myelitis had not been evaluated. After retrospective study of 14 cases, we found that MRI is valuable for both diagnosis and prognosis in this illness. The criteria for the diagnosis of acute transverse myelitis consisted of acute onset (over less than 3 weeks) of symmetrical motor and sensory dysfuncti...

The differential diagnosis of acute inflammatory transverse myelitis (ATM) is broad. Therefore, physicians must be aware of the many potential etiologies for acute myelopathy, and should pursue an ordered, efficient, and cost-effective approach to the diagnosis based on the patient's clinical history, examination, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. Clinical, immunological, and radio...

BACKGROUND Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is characterized by optic neuritis and longitudinally extensive acute transverse myelitis. The brain is generally considered healthy in NMO, though very recent studies have demonstrated that magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities may be observed in various brain regions of NMO patients. To date, cognitive functions have never been investigated in NMO. O...

Transverse myelitis refers to the inflammatory process involving the spinal cord. Clinical features can be either acute or subacute onset that results in neurological deficits such as weakness and/or numbness of extremities as well as autonomic dysfunctions. While there are some etiologies related, a viral infection is common. However, the hepatitis A virus rarely causes myelitis. This report p...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the diagnostic utility and clinical characteristics of painful tonic spasm (PTS) in neuromyelitis optica (NMO). DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING Two referral hospitals. PATIENTS Forty patients who had NMO spectrum disorder with anti-aquaporin 4 autoantibody or met the revised diagnostic criteria for definite NMO; 35 patients with multiple sclerosis; and 41 patien...

To the Editor: A 55‐year‐old woman presented with sudden onset symmetric weakness of both lower limbs along with truncal weakness and urinary retention for 7 days. However, she denied any history of pain, trauma, loss of consciousness, or any evidence of upper limb weakness, breathlessness, or cranial nerve involvement. According to history, a provisional diagnosis of acute transverse myelitis ...

INTRODUCTION Epidemiological studies on acute transverse myelitis (ATM) in South America are scarce. The aim of our study was to describe demographic, clinical and para-clinical features of patients with ATM in a health care organisation in Buenos Aires. A further objective was to determine the aetiologies of ATM. METHODS All patients diagnosed with ATM between June 1, 2002 and June 30, 2010 ...

BACKGROUND Paraplegia associated with epidural anesthesia or caused by intramedullary spinal tuberculoma is rare but catastrophic. We present a case of paraplegia following epidural anesthesia in a patient with an undiagnosed intramedullary spinal tuberculoma. CASE PRESENTATION A 42-year-old man developed paraplegia after an open cholecystectomy under epidural anesthesia. Spinal cord infarcti...