title: Imaging of noninfectious inflammatory disorders of the spinal cord.
abstract: Myelitis, or inflammation of the spinal cord, produces a characteristic clinical syndrome. Among the many causes of myelitis are the prototypical demyelinating diseases multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica, each of which has distinct clinical, pathologic, and radiographic features. Less distinct are the myelitides associated with systemic autoimmune conditions like sarcoidosis and lupus. Nondemyelinating conditions such as arachnoiditis, dural arteriovenous fistula, and tumor infiltration may also produce inflammation of the spinal cord. The objective of this review is to aid the clinician in the radiographic diagnosis of noninfectious inflammatory diseases of the spinal cord.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: jpklein@partners.org.
authors.forename: Joshua P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Klein
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D009187:Myelitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000379:methods*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: ADEM; arachnoiditis; inflammation; leptomeningitis; multiple sclerosis; neuromyelitis optica; spinal dural arteriovenous fistula; spinal imaging