Biomaterial Database

[Damage to the spinal medulla caused by radiation]. 1993

C Grau

Kraeftens Bekaempelses afdeling for eksperimental klinisk onkologi, Arhus.

The current clinical and biological knowledge about radiation myelopathy is reviewed. Transient myelopathy with Lhermitte's sign develops within months after irradiation. Symptoms generally disappear within months without treatment. Chronic progressive radiation myelopathy develops with a latency of several months to years after spinal cord irradiation. The symptoms are paraesthesia, paresis or paralysis, leading to severe physical disability and eventually death due to secondary infections. The long term survival after myelopathy is 30% for cervical myelopathy and 70% for thoracic myelopathy. There is no effective treatment. Analysis of clinical reports shows that the risk of developing chronic myelopathy is less than 2% after 55 Gy, given in 2 Gy daily fractions. Other important radiobiological risk factors (dose per fraction, interfraction interval and volume) are discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009187	Myelitis	Inflammation of the spinal cord. Relatively common etiologies include infections; AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES; SPINAL CORD; and ischemia (see also SPINAL CORD VASCULAR DISEASES). Clinical features generally include weakness, sensory loss, localized pain, incontinence, and other signs of autonomic dysfunction.	Myelopathy, Inflammatory,Spinal Cord Inflammation,Subacute Necrotizing Myelitis,Infectious Myelitis,Inflammation, Spinal Cord,Inflammations, Spinal Cord,Inflammatory Myelopathies,Inflammatory Myelopathy,Myelitides,Myelitides, Subacute Necrotizing,Myelitis, Infectious,Myelitis, Subacute Necrotizing,Myelopathies, Inflammatory,Necrotizing Myelitides, Subacute,Necrotizing Myelitis, Subacute,Spinal Cord Inflammations,Subacute Necrotizing Myelitides
D011379	Prognosis	A prediction of the probable outcome of a disease based on a individual's condition and the usual course of the disease as seen in similar situations.	Prognostic Factor,Prognostic Factors,Factor, Prognostic,Factors, Prognostic,Prognoses
D011832	Radiation Injuries	Harmful effects of non-experimental exposure to ionizing or non-ionizing radiation in VERTEBRATES.	Radiation Sickness,Radiation Syndrome,Injuries, Radiation,Injury, Radiation,Radiation Injury,Radiation Sicknesses,Radiation Syndromes,Sickness, Radiation,Sicknesses, Radiation,Syndrome, Radiation,Syndromes, Radiation
D011878	Radiotherapy	The use of IONIZING RADIATION to treat malignant NEOPLASMS and some benign conditions.	Radiotherapy, Targeted,Targeted Radiotherapy,Radiation Therapy,Radiation Therapy, Targeted,Radiation Treatment,Targeted Radiation Therapy,Radiation Therapies,Radiation Therapies, Targeted,Radiation Treatments,Radiotherapies,Radiotherapies, Targeted,Targeted Radiation Therapies,Targeted Radiotherapies,Therapies, Radiation,Therapies, Targeted Radiation,Therapy, Radiation,Therapy, Targeted Radiation,Treatment, Radiation
D002908	Chronic Disease	Diseases which have one or more of the following characteristics: they are permanent, leave residual disability, are caused by nonreversible pathological alteration, require special training of the patient for rehabilitation, or may be expected to require a long period of supervision, observation, or care (Dictionary of Health Services Management, 2d ed). For epidemiological studies chronic disease often includes HEART DISEASES; STROKE; CANCER; and diabetes (DIABETES MELLITUS, TYPE 2).	Chronic Condition,Chronic Illness,Chronically Ill,Chronic Conditions,Chronic Diseases,Chronic Illnesses,Condition, Chronic,Disease, Chronic,Illness, Chronic
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012307	Risk Factors	An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.	Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor
D013116	Spinal Cord	A cylindrical column of tissue that lies within the vertebral canal. It is composed of WHITE MATTER and GRAY MATTER.	Coccygeal Cord,Conus Medullaris,Conus Terminalis,Lumbar Cord,Medulla Spinalis,Myelon,Sacral Cord,Thoracic Cord,Coccygeal Cords,Conus Medullari,Conus Terminali,Cord, Coccygeal,Cord, Lumbar,Cord, Sacral,Cord, Spinal,Cord, Thoracic,Cords, Coccygeal,Cords, Lumbar,Cords, Sacral,Cords, Spinal,Cords, Thoracic,Lumbar Cords,Medulla Spinali,Medullari, Conus,Medullaris, Conus,Myelons,Sacral Cords,Spinal Cords,Spinali, Medulla,Spinalis, Medulla,Terminali, Conus,Terminalis, Conus,Thoracic Cords