[Cervical myelopathy: diagnostic problems]

Non traumatic cervical myelopathy is a common disease. Spondylosis with or without discopathy is a major cause aside meningioma or myelitis. Most cases can get some benefit from neurosurgery. But in current practice the diagnosis encounters difficulties because of insidious course and non specific initial symptoms, so that we can think the disease remains a long time unknown. The review of 18 patients allows me to recall the criteria of diagnosis and to confirm the importance of neurological examination: thanks to it we can better focus on complementary exams (MRI, lumbar puncture, electrophysiology) and if necessary go round behind a deceptive radiologic "evidence".