Infection-Related Myelopathies

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Infectious Diseases
• Immunology

Background:

• Growing recognition of inflammatory and infectious spinal cord disorders.
• Discovery of autoantibody-mediated conditions (e.g., aquaporin-4 IgG, MOG IgG).
• Emergence of infection-related myelopathy, termed acute flaccid myelitis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the spectrum of infection-related myelopathies.
• To propose a nosological classification system for myelopathies associated with infection.
• To discuss epidemiology, clinical presentation, and neuroimaging features.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of inflammatory and infectious spinal cord disorders.
• Analysis of epidemiological data and clinical presentations.
• Examination of neuroimaging characteristics.

Main Results:

• Categorization of myelopathies based on association with infection.
• Detailed description of clinical and neuroimaging findings.
• Distinction between direct pathogen invasion and post-/parainfectious mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• A structured classification aids understanding of diverse myelopathies.
• Infection-related myelopathies represent a significant neurological challenge.
• Further research is needed to elucidate pathogen-specific mechanisms and treatment strategies.