Immune-Mediated Myelopathies: A Review of Etiologies, Diagnostic Approach, and Therapeutic Management

Semin Neurol DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1725152Myelopathy is a broad term used to describe a heterogeneous group of disorders that affects the spinal cord; the focus of this article will be a subgroup of these disorders with an autoimmune and inflammatory-based pathology. Symptoms typically develop over hours or days and then worsen over a matter of days to weeks, but sometimes can have a more insidious or subacute presentation, which can make the diagnosis more puzzling. Despite relatively low incidence rates, almost a third of affected patients are left with severely disabling symptoms. Prompt recognition of the underlying etiology is essential so that a specific targeted therapy can be implemented for optimal outcomes. The authors discuss a systematic approach to immune-mediated myelopathies, with a focus on the unique characteristics of each that may aid in diagnosis. [...] Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc. 333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USAArticle in Thieme eJournals: Table of contents  |  Abstract  |  Full text

Source: Seminars in Neurology - May 24, 2021 Category: Neurology Authors: Abdel-Wahed, Lama Cho, Tracey A. Tags: Review Article Source Type: research