Lower motor neuron paralysis with extensive cord atrophy in parainfectious acute transverse myelitis

Abstract

We describe a young patient of acute transverse myelitis (ATM) who developed true lower motor neuron (LMN) type flaccid paraplegia as a result of anterior horn cell damage in the region of cord inflammation that extended from conus upwards up to the D4 transverse level. We infer that flaccidity in acute phase of ATM is not always due to spinal shock and may represent true LMN paralysis particularly if the long segment myelits is severe and extending up to last spinal segment.

Keywords

• Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis
• acute transverse myelitis
• ascending myelitis
• magnetic resonance imaging
• parainfectious myelitis