Atypical presentation of transverse myelitis in the emergency department

Transverse myelitis (TM) is an inflammatory disorder of the spinal cord characterized by acute onset sensory loss and motor weakness below the level of the lesion. The etiology of the disease is varied, and diagnosis of TM in the Emergency Department (ED) can be difficult owing to the low incidence of the disease, and frequently insidious onset. We report a case of a 59-year-old female who presented to the ED from home with left upper quadrant abdominal pain and flank pain of sudden onset. While in the ED, she experienced left lower extremity weakness and sensory changes that slowly progressed bilaterally, and ultimately was diagnosed with transverse myelitis. Transverse myelitis rarely diagnosed in the ED setting, but it is an important clinical consideration when evaluating ED patients presenting with both pain and progressive neurologic symptoms.