Myelitis is a disease involving inflammation of the spinal cord,[1] which disrupts central nervous system functions linking the brain and limbs. The name is derived from Greek myelós referring to the "spinal cord", and the suffix -itis, which denotes inflammation.[2]
[edit] Symptoms and signs
Symptoms vary by region of the CNS affected, and include fever, headaches, tingling, pain or loss of feeling, and may extend to central or peripheral paresis and loss of bladder control. Meningeal signs may develop.
[edit] Causes
- Infectious mononucleosis can rarely cause transverse myelitis[3]
- Poliovirus is the cause of poliomyelitis, which, prior to widespread vaccination, was a very common cause of pediatric myelitis.
- Cases of Measles myelitis has been described, with at least 1 case of transverse myelitis secondary to measles.[4][5]
- Herpes simplex, epstein barr virus, cytomegalovirus, and mycoplasma have been suspected as the eitologic agents of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis.[6]
- Retroviruses such as MLVs/HGRVs (Murine leukemia viruses/Human gammaretroviruses) and Chronic fatigue syndrome-associated virus (aka deFreitas Retrovirus) as well as enteroviruses have been suspected of being causes of Myalgic encephalomyelits aka Chronic fatigue syndrome.
[edit] Prognosis
Untreated myelitis may rapidly lead to a permanently damaged spinal cord.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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| Inflammation |
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Brain/
encephalopathy |
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autoimmune ( Multiple sclerosis, Neuromyelitis optica, Schilder's disease) · hereditary ( Adrenoleukodystrophy, Alexander, Canavan, Krabbe, ML, PMD, VWM, MFC, CAMFAK syndrome) · Central pontine myelinolysis · Marchiafava-Bignami disease · Alpers' disease
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Other
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Spinal cord/
myelopathy |
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| Both/either |
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| Acute |
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| Chronic |
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| Processes |
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| Specific locations |
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CNS ( Encephalitis, Myelitis) · Meningitis ( Arachnoiditis) · PNS ( Neuritis) · eye ( Dacryoadenitis, Scleritis, Keratitis, Choroiditis, Retinitis, Chorioretinitis, Blepharitis, Conjunctivitis, Iritis, Uveitis) · ear ( Otitis, Labyrinthitis, Mastoiditis)
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mouth ( Stomatitis, Gingivitis, Gingivostomatitis, Glossitis, Tonsillitis, Sialadenitis/ Parotitis, Cheilitis, Pulpitis, Gnathitis) · tract ( Esophagitis, Gastritis, Gastroenteritis, Enteritis, Colitis, Enterocolitis, Duodenitis, Ileitis, Caecitis, Appendicitis, Proctitis) · accessory ( Hepatitis, Cholangitis, Cholecystitis, Pancreatitis) · Peritonitis
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