Transverse Myelitis Quiz

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Reviewed By:

Benjamin Kummer, MD

Benjamin Kummer, MD (Neurology)

Dr Kummer is Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), with joint appointment in Digital and Technology Partners (DTP) at the Mount Sinai Health System (MSHS) as Director of Clinical Informatics in Neurology. As a triple-board certified practicing stroke neurologist and informaticist, he has successfully improved clinical operations at the point of care by acting as a central liaison between clinical neurology faculty and DTP teams to implement targeted EHR configuration changes and workflows, as well as providing subject matter expertise on health information technology projects across MSHS. | Dr Kummer also has several years’ experience building and implementing several informatics tools, presenting scientific posters, and generating a body of peer-reviewed work in “clinical neuro-informatics” – i.e., the intersection of clinical neurology, digital health, and informatics – much of which is centered on digital/tele-health, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. He has spearheaded the Clinical Neuro-Informatics Center in the Department of Neurology at ISMMS, a new research institute that seeks to establish the field of clinical neuro-informatics and disseminate knowledge to the neurological community on the effects and benefits of clinical informatics tools at the point of care.

Shohei Harase, MD

Shohei Harase, MD (Neurology)

Dr. Harase spent his junior and senior high school years in Finland and the U.S. After graduating from the University of Washington (Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology), he worked for Apple Japan Inc. before entering the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, where he received the Best Resident Award in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he joined the Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, specializing in hyperacute stroke.

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People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes

  • Numbness

  • Hand tingling

  • Pain in the lower back worsens when standing up

  • Off balance

  • The left half of the body is numb

  • Pain on one side started first

  • Poor coordination

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Learn more about Transverse myelitis

Content updated on Sep 20, 2022

What is transverse myelitis?

Transverse myelitis is an inflammation of both sides of one section of the spinal cord. There is often damage to the covering of nerve cell fibers (myelin), which interrupts the messages from the spinal cord nerves to the rest of the body. Causes include infections and immune system disorders that attack the body's tissues.

Symptoms of transverse myelitis

  • Numbness or abnormal sensation

  • Low back pain

  • Numbness of the thigh

  • Decreased sensation over skin

  • Common cold or stomach flu symptoms before the fever appeared

  • Unable to move both legs

  • Reduced sensitivity to feeling pain

  • Weakness in arms or legs

Questions your doctor may ask to check for transverse myelitis

Your doctor may ask these questions to diagnose transverse myelitis

  • Do you feel any numbness or change in sensation?

  • Do you have pain in the lumbar back?

  • Do you have numbness in the thigh/s?

  • Do you feel the sensation on your skin has changed?

  • Did you experience any common cold or stomach flu symptoms before your current fever appeared?

Treatment for transverse myelitis

There is no effective cure for transverse myelitis, but many people recover from it. Treatments include medication to suppress inflammation, relieve pain, and rehabilitation. Those with severe symptoms may need to be hospitalized.

View the symptoms of Transverse myelitis

References

  • Beh SC, Greenberg BM, Frohman T, Frohman EM. Transverse myelitis. Neurol Clin. 2013 Feb;31(1):79-138. doi: 10.1016/j.ncl.2012.09.008. PMID: 23186897; PMCID: PMC7132741.

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0733861912000692?via%3Dihub

  • West TW. Transverse myelitis--a review of the presentation, diagnosis, and initial management. Discov Med. 2013 Oct;16(88):167-77. PMID: 24099672.

    https://www.discoverymedicine.com/Timothy-W-West/2013/09/29/transverse-myelitis-a-review-of-the-presentation-diagnosis-and-initial-management/

  • Agmon-Levin N, Kivity S, Szyper-Kravitz M, Shoenfeld Y. Transverse myelitis and vaccines: a multi-analysis. Lupus. 2009 Nov;18(13):1198-204. doi: 10.1177/0961203309345730. PMID: 19880568.

    https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0961203309345730

  • Absoud M, Greenberg BM, Lim M, Lotze T, Thomas T, Deiva K. Pediatric transverse myelitis. Neurology. 2016 Aug 30;87(9 Suppl 2):S46-52. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000002820. PMID: 27572861.

    https://n.neurology.org/content/87/9_Supplement_2/S46

  • West TW, Hess C, Cree BA. Acute transverse myelitis: demyelinating, inflammatory, and infectious myelopathies. Semin Neurol. 2012 Apr;32(2):97-113. doi: 10.1055/s-0032-1322586. Epub 2012 Sep 8. PMID: 22961185.

    https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0032-1322586

User testimonials

Reviewed By:

Benjamin Kummer, MD

Benjamin Kummer, MD (Neurology)

Dr Kummer is Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), with joint appointment in Digital and Technology Partners (DTP) at the Mount Sinai Health System (MSHS) as Director of Clinical Informatics in Neurology. As a triple-board certified practicing stroke neurologist and informaticist, he has successfully improved clinical operations at the point of care by acting as a central liaison between clinical neurology faculty and DTP teams to implement targeted EHR configuration changes and workflows, as well as providing subject matter expertise on health information technology projects across MSHS. | Dr Kummer also has several years’ experience building and implementing several informatics tools, presenting scientific posters, and generating a body of peer-reviewed work in “clinical neuro-informatics” – i.e., the intersection of clinical neurology, digital health, and informatics – much of which is centered on digital/tele-health, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. He has spearheaded the Clinical Neuro-Informatics Center in the Department of Neurology at ISMMS, a new research institute that seeks to establish the field of clinical neuro-informatics and disseminate knowledge to the neurological community on the effects and benefits of clinical informatics tools at the point of care.

Shohei Harase, MD

Shohei Harase, MD (Neurology)

Dr. Harase spent his junior and senior high school years in Finland and the U.S. After graduating from the University of Washington (Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology), he worked for Apple Japan Inc. before entering the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, where he received the Best Resident Award in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he joined the Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, specializing in hyperacute stroke.

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