Radiation induced delayed transverse myelitis and neurological deficit at tertiary care center

Transverse myelitis is a rare spinal cord inflammation with absence of a compression. It varies in presentation based on the pathology location, and mainly causes a combined deficit of motor, sensory, and autonomic functions. History, physical examination, and other diagnostic tests including blood tests and an MRI are important tools to establish a diagnosis.A thorough neurological evaluation helps localize the affected region of the spinal cord. The management includes rehabilitation as any other spinal cord injury. If very severe, a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program will be required.

We explain a case in which a 43-year-old male patient, known to have chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), on Imatinib (a tyrosine kinase inhibitor), started complaining of back pain at the level of the 10th rib. Different tests were made including a PET-CT (Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography) which showed hypermetabolic bony lytic lesion in the left mandible at the level of temporomandibular joint, destruction of the 10th rib, and no evidence of spinal cord compression. Other etiologies were excluded, making transverse myelitis due to radiation for the patient's CML on top of the differential diagnosis.

A thorough physical examination and diagnostic tests are important tools to exclude other etiologies of complex neurological deficit in a patient with CML.