Transverse myelitis. Comparison with spinal cord presentations of multiple sclerosis. 1998

T F Scott, and K Bhagavatula, and P J Snyder, and C Chieffe
Department of Neurology, Allegheny University of the Health Sciences, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

We delineated the clinical and laboratory features that help distinguish acute myelopathic MS (MMS) from acute transverse myelitis (ATM), specifically testing the hypothesis that the symmetry of motor and sensory impairments at presentation can reliably distinguish between ATM and MMS. We reviewed 20 consecutive patients with ATM and 16 patients with MMS. Clinical criteria were used to assign patients to the ATM group. Patients assigned to the MMS group had onset of MS symptoms referable to the spinal cord and eventually fulfilled Poser's criteria for MS. The relative contribution of the symmetry of both motor and sensory symptoms for the accurate identification of ATM versus MMS was evaluated using a discriminant function analysis. Fifteen of 16 MMS patients and all 20 ATM patients presented with symptoms of motor dysfunction. Additionally, all patients in both groups presented with sensory complaints. MMS patients had asymmetric motor or sensory symptoms in all but one patient, whereas ATM patients exhibited symmetric weakness uniformly and symmetric sensory loss in all but one patient (statistically significant). None of the MS patients met criteria for ATM at presentation. None of the ATM patients developed MS over an average follow-up period of 4.5 years. In conclusion, MMS was easily distinguished from ATM in this study.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008279 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Non-invasive method of demonstrating internal anatomy based on the principle that atomic nuclei in a strong magnetic field absorb pulses of radiofrequency energy and emit them as radiowaves which can be reconstructed into computerized images. The concept includes proton spin tomographic techniques. Chemical Shift Imaging,MR Tomography,MRI Scans,MRI, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Image,Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional,Magnetization Transfer Contrast Imaging,NMR Imaging,NMR Tomography,Tomography, NMR,Tomography, Proton Spin,fMRI,Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging,Imaging, Chemical Shift,Proton Spin Tomography,Spin Echo Imaging,Steady-State Free Precession MRI,Tomography, MR,Zeugmatography,Chemical Shift Imagings,Echo Imaging, Spin,Echo Imagings, Spin,Functional MRI,Functional MRIs,Image, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, NMR,Imaging, Spin Echo,Imagings, Chemical Shift,Imagings, Spin Echo,MRI Scan,MRIs, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Images,Resonance Image, Magnetic,Scan, MRI,Scans, MRI,Shift Imaging, Chemical,Shift Imagings, Chemical,Spin Echo Imagings,Steady State Free Precession MRI
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D009043 Motor Activity Body movements of a human or an animal as a behavioral phenomenon. Activities, Motor,Activity, Motor,Motor Activities
D009103 Multiple Sclerosis An autoimmune disorder mainly affecting young adults and characterized by destruction of myelin in the central nervous system. Pathologic findings include multiple sharply demarcated areas of demyelination throughout the white matter of the central nervous system. Clinical manifestations include visual loss, extra-ocular movement disorders, paresthesias, loss of sensation, weakness, dysarthria, spasticity, ataxia, and bladder dysfunction. The usual pattern is one of recurrent attacks followed by partial recovery (see MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, RELAPSING-REMITTING), but acute fulminating and chronic progressive forms (see MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, CHRONIC PROGRESSIVE) also occur. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p903) MS (Multiple Sclerosis),Multiple Sclerosis, Acute Fulminating,Sclerosis, Disseminated,Disseminated Sclerosis,Sclerosis, Multiple
D009188 Myelitis, Transverse Inflammation of a transverse portion of the spinal cord characterized by acute or subacute segmental demyelination or necrosis. The condition may occur sporadically, follow an infection or vaccination, or present as a paraneoplastic syndrome (see also ENCEPHALOMYELITIS, ACUTE DISSEMINATED). Clinical manifestations include motor weakness, sensory loss, and incontinence. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1242-6) Demyelinative Myelitis,Transverse Myelitis,Myelitis, Acute Transverse,Myelitis, Necrotizing,Myelitis, Paraneoplastic,Myelitis, Postinfectious,Myelitis, Postvaccinal,Myelitis, Subacute Transverse,Postinfectious Myelitis,Transverse Myelopathy Syndrome,Acute Transverse Myelitis,Myelitides, Subacute Transverse,Myelitis, Demyelinative,Necrotizing Myelitis,Paraneoplastic Myelitis,Postvaccinal Myelitis,Subacute Transverse Myelitis,Transverse Myelitis, Acute,Transverse Myelitis, Subacute,Transverse Myelopathy Syndromes
D012044 Regression Analysis Procedures for finding the mathematical function which best describes the relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables. In linear regression (see LINEAR MODELS) the relationship is constrained to be a straight line and LEAST-SQUARES ANALYSIS is used to determine the best fit. In logistic regression (see LOGISTIC MODELS) the dependent variable is qualitative rather than continuously variable and LIKELIHOOD FUNCTIONS are used to find the best relationship. In multiple regression, the dependent variable is considered to depend on more than a single independent variable. Regression Diagnostics,Statistical Regression,Analysis, Regression,Analyses, Regression,Diagnostics, Regression,Regression Analyses,Regression, Statistical,Regressions, Statistical,Statistical Regressions
D003937 Diagnosis, Differential Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures. Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

Related Publications

T F Scott, and K Bhagavatula, and P J Snyder, and C Chieffe
December 2011, The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society,
T F Scott, and K Bhagavatula, and P J Snyder, and C Chieffe
December 1999, SCI nursing : a publication of the American Association of Spinal Cord Injury Nurses,
T F Scott, and K Bhagavatula, and P J Snyder, and C Chieffe
March 2021, Der Radiologe,
T F Scott, and K Bhagavatula, and P J Snyder, and C Chieffe
December 2017, Cureus,
T F Scott, and K Bhagavatula, and P J Snyder, and C Chieffe
June 2006, The Journal of rheumatology,
T F Scott, and K Bhagavatula, and P J Snyder, and C Chieffe
January 1996, Functional neurology,
T F Scott, and K Bhagavatula, and P J Snyder, and C Chieffe
May 2006, Neurologia (Barcelona, Spain),
T F Scott, and K Bhagavatula, and P J Snyder, and C Chieffe
May 2008, Journal of neuroimmunology,
T F Scott, and K Bhagavatula, and P J Snyder, and C Chieffe
May 1999, The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine,
T F Scott, and K Bhagavatula, and P J Snyder, and C Chieffe
January 2016, Case reports in pathology,
Copied contents to your clipboard!