Abstract
Objectives: Transverse myelitis is an acute or subacute disease of the spinal cord which causes the abnormalities in the motor, sensory and autonomic function of the spinal cord. This is a rare disease with many different causes. In Vietnam, we haven’t seen many research on that disease yet, especially there was a little data on the recurrence as well as preventive treatment of that disease. As the result, our goal of the research is to firstly describe the clinical and laboratory characteristics, some prognosis factors of patients with transverse myelitis. Methods: Retrospective descriptive study of 25 patients in Neurology Department of 108 Military Hospital from January, 2014 to May, 2019. Results: The average age of patients was 44.8 ± 13.4 years old with the percentage of women was 52% and the duration of the plateau phase of symptoms under 2 weeks was 60%. The percentage of the lesion in the thoracic spinal cord was 61.9%, the lesion which was up to the medullary was 14.3% and the lesion which was longer than 2 vertebral segments was 90.5%. The changes in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was seen in 88% of patients with 44% increase in the number of blood cells, 56% increase in the protein level and 68% with positive Pandy’s reaction. In the following-up time of average 34 months, there was 59% of recurrence. Patients with these factors including elevated CSF protein level, the lesion longer than 2 vertebral segments were at higher risk of recurrence. Patients with recurrence had worse functional status (mRs 3.0 ± 1,9 vs 1.67 ± 1.0, p < 0,01). Conclusion: Patients with the lesion longer than 2 vertebral segments and elevated CSF protein level were at higher risk of recurrence. Patients with recurrence had worse functional status.
