Clinical Characteristics of Idiopathic Acute Transverse Myelitis |
Young-Hoon Jun, M.D., Sang-Dae Kim, M.D., Jung-Yul Park, M.D., Se-Hoon Kim, M.D., Juno Park, M.D., Dong-Joon Lim, M.D., Heung-Seob Chung, M.D. |
Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Korea University, Korea |
Clinical Characteristics of Idiopathic Acute Transverse Myelitis |
Young-Hoon Jun, M.D., Sang-Dae Kim, M.D., Jung-Yul Park, M.D., Se-Hoon Kim, M.D., Juno Park, M.D., Dong-Joon Lim, M.D., Heung-Seob Chung, M.D. |
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Abstract |
Objective Acute transverse myelitis(ATM) is a group of poorly understood inflammatory disorder resulting in neural injury to the spinal cord. The study is aimed to describe clinical characteristics and treatment of the ATM.
Methods In this study, the clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome of twelve patients with idiopathic ATM, diagnosed from 1996 to 2003 in our institution, were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 12 patients whose symptoms and signs matched the proposed diagnostic criteria of idiopathic ATM by Transverse Myelitis Consortium Working Group is included in this study.
Results The clinical presentation, cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) findings as well as magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) and neuro- physiological features were retrospectively analyzed in 12 consecutive patients with ATM. The sensory, motor, and autonomic symptom were represented at 91.6%, 58.3%, and 41.1% of cases, respectively. MRI of the spinal cord revealed T2-weighted signal change in 91.6%. All patients with ATM received pulsed steroid therapy. Fifty-six percent of patients with motor symptom had partial or complete recovery. Sensory and autonomic symptoms were recovered or improved in 54.5% and 60%, respec- tively.
Conclusion ATM is a pathogenetically heterogeneous inflammatory disorder of the spinal cord. Therefore, the identification of clinical and paraclinical features providing clues of the underlying etiologies is needed. Outcome of these patients with pulsed steroid therapy seems satisfactory. However, a double-blinded prospective study with large population is needed to determine the role of steroid therapy along with other therapeutic modalities. |
Keywords:
Idiopathic acute transverse myelitis.Treatment.Steroid.Outcome |
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