title: Clinical and epidemiological profiles of non-traumatic myelopathies.
abstract: Non-traumatic myelopathies represent a heterogeneous group of neurological conditions. Few studies report clinical and epidemiological profiles regarding the experience of referral services. Objective To describe clinical characteristics of a non-traumatic myelopathy cohort. Method Epidemiological, clinical, and radiological variables from 166 charts of patients assisted between 2001 and 2012 were compiled. Results The most prevalent diagnosis was subacute combined degeneration (11.4%), followed by cervical spondylotic myelopathy (9.6%), demyelinating disease (9%), tropical spastic paraparesis (8.4%) and hereditary spastic paraparesis (8.4%). Up to 20% of the patients presented non-traumatic myelopathy of undetermined etiology, despite the broad clinical, neuroimaging and laboratorial investigations. Conclusion Regardless an extensive evaluation, many patients with non-traumatic myelopathy of uncertain etiology. Compressive causes and nutritional deficiencies are important etiologies of non-traumatic myelopathies in our population.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia, Divisão Geral de Neurologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wladimir Bocca Vieira de Rezende
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia, Divisão Geral de Neurologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Victor Sgobbi
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia, Divisão Geral de Neurologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcus Vinícius Cristino
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: de Albuquerque
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia, Divisão Geral de Neurologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lívia Almeida
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Dutra
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia, Divisão Geral de Neurologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Luiz
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pedroso
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurologia e Neurocirurgia, Divisão Geral de Neurologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Orlando Graziani Povoas
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Barsottini
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*