RT Journal
A1 Lipton HL, Teasdall RD
T1 Acute transverse myelopathy in adults: A follow-up study
JF Archives of Neurology
JO Archives of Neurology
YR 1973
FD April 1
VO 28
IS 4
SP 252
OP 257
DO 10.1001/archneur.1973.00490220060009
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archneur.1973.00490220060009
AB This study comprises follow-up information or pathologic material, or both, from 34 adult patients with acute transverse myelopathy of unknown cause. These patients had no antecedent neurologic or underlying systemic disease. Five patients died during the first four months of illness. Follow-up information was obtained from the remaining 29 patients 5 to 42 years after onset, and postmortem material also was available in three of these cases. During follow-up a clinical diagnosis of multiple sclerosis was made in only one patient. Two thirds of the patients recovered and became ambulatory, while one third remained paraplegic. The only factor which correlated with prognosis was the observation that patients who retained tendon reflexes and posterior column function had a better recovery than those who exhibited spinal shock.