Acute transverse myelitis following dengue virus infection.
The spinal cord is infrequently affected following dengue virus infection. We report a case of transverse myelitis that developed 2 weeks after acute dengue infection and review the literature to elucidate the pathogenesis of spinal cord involvement in dengue infection. We postulate that temporal factors may play a role in the different clinical manifestations, i.e. that acute parainfectious dengue infection presents with flaccid paralysis, whereas late-stage (postinfectious) dengue infection, presents with spastic weakness. Further studies need to be performed to elucidate the mechanisms of spinal neurological damage in dengue.
Seet
Raymond C S
RC
Division of Neurology, National University Hospital, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119074, Singapore. raymond_seet@nus.edu.sg
Lim
Erle C H
EC
Wilder-Smith
Einar P V
EP
D000328:Adult; D003715:Dengue / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009188:Myelitis, Transverse / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology