Weinshenker on Acute Myelopathies from AAN 2010 pearls

1.  Most myelopathies are undetermined cause at initial diagnosis, then infectious, then CVA, then systemic disease eg. lupus

2. NMO may have a central cord syndrome

3.  Initial functinal score and a central lesion on MRI are predictors at outcome, as is systemic disease or NMO at outcome.

4.  Paraneoplastic case with CRMP 5 in a 42 year old man with positive vep, cigar shaped faintly enhanicng lesions improved with removal of papillary thyroid cancer.  One radiographic sign not well known is owl eye sign with 2 "eyes"  suggests cancer or paraneoplastic.

5.  Cord compression can produce abnormal signal mimicking transverse myelitis clue check axials, and clinically symptoms did not progress over 3 weeks. Signet ring pattern of enhancing signal is c/w compression

6.  Case zoster leading to myelitis indistinguishable from NMO by MRI abnormalities.  Infections that cause acute myelopathy include:  Schistosomiasis (esp in Mideasterners), rabies virus, TB, lyme, syphilis, HSV, VZV, West Nile Virus, dengue, polio, coxsackie and Echovirus, actinomyces, blastomyces, >50 % none found, MAY HAVE OCB's

7. 71 yo woman with recurrent TM after 6 months, then paratonic spasms, TPO antibodies, letm, was NMO

8.  ADEM can be NMO positive and turn out to be NMO


Summary- conclusions  Algorithm: 1) is it compressive (subtle types included such as lipomatosis, spondylosis)  2)  is it really a myelopathy (parasagittal meningioma, CIDP)  3)  is it an acute presentation of a metabolic disorder (eg. B12 deficient patient exposed to nitrous oxide)  4) Is image quality and timing adequate?  (too early, too late)   5)  Is it functional?