neurologic disorders
Acute Transverse Myelitis
Key Points
Autoimmune and demyelinating disorders, infections, a medication, or a recreational drug can inflame tissues in spinal cord segments, causing transverse myelitis, which may progress to complete transverse sensorimotor myelopathy. Do MRI of the spinal cord, CSF analysis, testing for neuromyelitis optica IgG, anti-MOG IgG autoantibody, and other tests for treatable causes (eg, infections). Treat the cause if identified, and if no cause is evident, consider corticosteroids and plasma exchange. 