title: Acute myelopathy. Retrospective clinical, laboratory, MRI and outcome analysis of 49 cases.
abstract: Forty nine consecutive cases of acute myelopathy were related to the following pathologies: 31 MS, four spinal cord infarction, four parainfectious, one antiphospolipid syndrome and nine of unknown origin. Sensory deficits were most frequent in MS and in myelopathy of unknown origin. In spinal cord infarction motor deficits and sphincter dysfunction were present in all cases. In parainfectious myelopathy sensory-motor deficits and sphincter dysfunction were most frequent. Myelopathy extended over less than two vertebral segments in MS and in myelopathy of unknown origin. Myelopathy extended over more than two vertebral segments in spinal cord infarction and in parainfectious myelopathy. The clinical outcome was good in MS, parainfectious myelopathy and myelopathy of unknown origin, but poor in spinal cord infarction. Our findings suggest that various aetiologies of acute myelopathy may be differentiated on the basis of distinct clinical, MRI, laboratory and outcome data.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Academic Hospital München-Bogenhausen, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany. dr.dennis.nowak@gmx.de
authors.forename: Dennis A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mutzenbach
authors.forename: Hans H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Fuchs
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000906:Antibodies / Q000378:metabolism; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000150:complications; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000906:Antibodies; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA