Guide To The Types Of Myelitis

Myelitis is a state of inflammation in an individual's spinal cord that can result in permanent nerve and spinal damage. It can have numerous causes, including damage that results from other diseases, abnormal autoimmune responses, certain types of viruses and bacteria, vascular abnormalities, and cancer. Symptoms of myelitis vary depending on which section of the spinal cord is being affected and damaged from the inflammation. Symptoms include back pain, numbness, tingling, burning sensations, urinary urgency, bowel or bladder incontinence, loss of temperature sensation, abdominal tightness, muscle weakness, paralysis, loss of light touch sensation, and constipation. Myelitis is diagnosed with the use of blood tests, diagnostic MRI imaging, physical exam, and lumbar puncture. Treatment for myelitis is dependent upon its underlying cause, symptomatic challenges, and the extent of spinal damage.

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Transverse Myelitis

Transverse myelitis is a type of myelitis where the patient experiences nerve dysfunction on both sides of their spinal cord in both the sensory and motor pathways. There are a handful of classic symptoms that occur in individuals affected by transverse myelitis. Symptoms include arm and leg weakness, sensations of tingling, discomfort or pain, sensations of numbness, bladder dysfunction, and bowel motility issues. These manifestations of transverse myelitis may occur bilaterally or in both arms and legs, or they may occur unilaterally or in the arm and leg on one side of the body. The word transverse in the name of this classification refers to malfunction at a single level across the entire spinal cord, but inflammation that is focal and produces unilateral dysfunction is included in this myelitis classification. Most cases of transverse myelitis have an unknown cause. When the cause can be identified, the processes of an autoimmune disorder such as neuromyelitis optica, Sjogren's syndrome, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and sarcoidosis are commonly implicated.

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Leukomyelitis

Leukomyelitis describes inflammation of the spinal cord limited to an individual's white matter. The brain and spinal cord are composed of different types of tissue that perform different functions. Gray matter contains dendrites, neural cells, and axon terminals, while white matter contains myelin and axons. The white matter may also be referred to as superficial tissue due to its location in the outer parts of the spinal cord and brain. White matter functions to regulate and transmit nerve signals from the cerebrum to the spinal cord and other brain tissues. Within the spinal cord, white matter functions as a complex network of wiring that carries information throughout the central nervous system. When this white matter in the spinal cord becomes inflamed, it is called leukomyelitis. The most common causes of this type of myelitis are cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, adrenoleukodystrophy, and other inherited childhood diseases. When there is inflammation in the white matter of the spinal cord, the effectiveness of a patient's blood-brain barrier becomes compromised. This process allows for further infiltration of the central nervous system by antibodies and peripheral immune cells. This compounded inflammation can result in damage to the protective myelin sheathing that insulates the neural axons and allows for the smooth transmission of signals.

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