[Urinary retention in immunocompetent patient: acute transverse myelitis]

A heterogeneous group of diseases is included under the term acute transverse myelitis (ATM); these have the common factor of producing an inflammatory focal injury of the spinal cord in an acute form. Understanding of ATM is being constantly improved with the arrival of new diagnostic techniques and theories about its immune origin. Responsibility for making an early diagnosis lies primarily in the field of primary care and must always be based on the completion of a detailed clinical report together with a thorough neurological examination. Once detected, correct handling of the clinical situation will require an urgent referral to a hospital for evaluation and treatment at an early stage by multidisciplinary teams. Early intervention in many of these diseases is vital, because it improves the prognosis of these patients and significantly reduces injuries.