Acute transverse myelitis: What you need to know

Acute transverse myelitis is a clinical form of acute myelitis, usually in the lumbar and thoracic spinal cord bulge. Transverse myelitis can occur in any age, sex or race due to many different causes.

Transverse myelitis is a nervous system disorder caused by inflammation in the spinal cord. Inflammation causes the destruction of myelin - the substance that surrounds the nerve axons, which interferes with and loses the ability to transmit nerve information from the spinal cord to the rest of the body. This is the main cause of the symptoms of the disease such as sensory, motor and circular muscle disturbances.
Possible causes of acute transverse myelitis include:
Multiple sclerosis; Neuromyelitis optica; Ankylosing spondylitis ; Lupus erythematosus ; Infections, cancer; Idiopathic transverse myelitis.

Acute transverse myelitis usually develops rapidly within hours and worsens over time. Some cases progressed over a few weeks and often had symptoms on both or one side of the body such as:
The disease started with high fever accompanied by multi-regional neuritis, pain spreading along the skin segment due to spinal cord segments. dominant; Sudden pain in the cervical spine or back, which may radiate down the arm or around the abdomen; Systemic infection syndrome; Abnormal sensations such as numbness, cold, itching or burning in the affected area correspond to the medulla oblongata. Lesions may extend downward and are sensitive to light or temperature; Weakness in half of the body from mild to complete, feeling of heaviness in limbs, dragging one leg,...; Urinary tract disorders: Urinary frequency, urinary incontinence, urinary retention or constipation,...; Difficulty swallowing or breathing may be present in some cases.

Currently, there is no effective treatment for patients with myelitis such as transverse myelitis. Treatments aimed only at alleviating symptoms depend on the severity of nervous system effects. The following treatment options are available:
Therapy that begins when the patient first experiences symptoms is usually a prescription of corticosteroids during the first few weeks; After the initial therapy, in order to treat transverse myelitis, the most important thing is to maintain the patient's body function to hope for a complete or partial recovery of the nervous system; In some cases, a ventilator must be used to support the patient; Patients with acute manifestations are often treated in hospitals or rehabilitation facilities to prevent or relieve pain in paralyzed patients; When the patient shows signs of regaining control of the extremities, physical therapy is applied to improve muscle strength, coordination, and a variety of other movements. Transverse myelitis usually begins between 2-12 weeks from the time the first symptoms occur and lasts up to 2 years. However, if there is no improvement within 3-6 months, significant recovery is often unlikely. Up to 30% of cases of transverse myelitis are irreversible and require the use of a wheelchair or helper with daily tasks for the rest of their lives. Therefore, to protect health and prevent complications, when detecting symptoms of transverse myelitis, patients need to go to the hospital to be examined by a neurologist.

Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the most prestigious medical treatment units for neurological diseases in Vietnam. The Department of Neurology at Vinmec has the function of examining, diagnosing, consulting and treating diseases related to neurological factors, including headaches, vestibular disorders, dementia,... Phuong The typical method of the department is to use intravenous and arterial fibrinolytic drugs for stroke cases, along with the combination of paraclinical facilities such as electroencephalogram, ST Scan, MRI, .. . for best results.