Acute Transverse Myelitis and Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis in Childhood: Spectrum or Separate Entities?

Abstract

The clinical and radiological features of childhood acute transverse myelitis are compared to those of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis with spinal cord involvement in 22 children with acute transverse myelitis and 12 children with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis with spinal cord involvement. Children with acute transverse myelitis were more likely to have a sensory level (55%) and areflexia. Sixty-eight percent of the children with acute transverse myelitis, and 92% of children with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis had longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis. Demyelination was more extensive in acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (mean 15.6 vertebral segments) than in acu..