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MRI Findings Suggest Extensive Myelitis

Arch Neurol. 2001;58:717-718.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

IN THIS issue of the ARCHIVES, Kastenbauer et al¹ describe their important observation of acute spinal cord involvement during the course of bacterial meningitis in 3 adults and review the etiology of spinal cord dysfunction in bacterial meningitis. There are a number of neurological complications of acute bacterial meningitis, including raised intracranial pressure causing coma, cerebral ischemia causing focal neurologic deficits and/or seizure activity, cranial nerve palsies, dural sinus thrombosis, subdural effusions, ataxia, and hyponatremia due to the syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone. To this list, Kastenbauer et al¹ add myelitis, and consequently also add bacteria to the list of infectious causes of myelitis.

Myelitis by definition is an inflammatory condition of the spinal cord. Infectious myelitis presents with fever and paraparesis. The thoracic cord is most commonly affected. Initially the lower extremities are flaccid, but then become spastic. Back pain may be present, but it is not . . . [Full Text of this Article]

RELATED ARTICLE

Acute Severe Spinal Cord Dysfunction in Bacterial Meningitis in Adults: MRI Findings Suggest Extensive Myelitis
Stefan Kastenbauer, Frank Winkler, Gunther Fesl, Xaver Schiel, Helmut Ostermann, Tarek A. Yousry, and Hans Walter Pfister
Arch Neurol. 2001;58(5):806-810.
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