Related Experiment Videos
Acute transverse myelitis in children: clinical analysis of seven cases
Insights
Acute transverse myelitis (ATM) is rare, affecting 1 in 3.4 million. This study found that childhood ATM, often presenting with leg weakness and paralysis, typically has a good prognosis with supportive care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Neuroimmunology
Background:
- Acute transverse myelitis (ATM) is a rare neurological disorder with an incidence of 1 per 3.4 million people annually.
- Its rarity necessitates focused clinical investigations to understand its characteristics and outcomes in specific populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical features, potential causes, and prognosis of acute transverse myelitis (ATM) in a cohort of Chinese children.
- To identify common presentations and outcomes associated with childhood ATM.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective review of hospital records for seven pediatric patients diagnosed with ATM.
- Clinical diagnosis was confirmed with or without neuroimaging support.
Main Results:
- The study included seven children (five males, two females) aged 3–16 years, with a mean age of 8.6 years.
- Common symptoms included lower extremity weakness, acute flaccid paralysis, urinary issues, constipation, and sensory disturbances.
- Infections by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, varicella/zoster virus, and Epstein-Barr virus were identified in some patients; most patients recovered with supportive treatment.
Conclusions:
- Infectious agents may contribute to the development of ATM.
- Childhood ATM generally has a favorable prognosis, with most patients achieving significant improvement within one to six months.
Background:
The reported annual incidence of acute transverse myelitis (ATM) is 1 per 3.4 million. Because of its rarity, we performed this retrospective clinical investigation.
Methods:
Hospital records of seven Chinese children with ATM were reviewed thoroughly. The diagnosis of ATM were made clinically with or without neuroimages.
Results:
Five males and two females were included, of age from three to sixteen years with a mean of 8.6 years. The common presentations included weakness of lower extremities, acute flaccid paralysis, urinary distention, constipation, hyporeflexia, sensory impairment and paresthesia. Slightly elevated protein level in cerebrospinal fluid was noted. Mycoplasma pneumoniae, varicella/zoster virus and Epstein-Barr virus infections were confirmed serologically in one, one, and two patients, respectively. All patients received supportive treatment. The duration required to reach peak severity from onset of illness ranged from six to forty-eight hours. All but one patient recovered, and one to six months were required to achieve maximum improvement.
Conclusions:
Some infectious pathogens may play a role in the pathogenesis of ATM. In general, the prognosis of childhood ATM is good.