Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Contributors
- Part I Clinical Syndromes – General
- Part II Clinical Syndromes – Head and Neck
- Part III Clinical Syndromes – Eye
- Part IV Clinical Syndromes – Skin and Lymph Nodes
- Part V Clinical Syndromes – Respiratory Tract
- Part VI Clinical Syndromes – Heart and Blood Vessels
- Part VII Clinical Syndromes – Gastrointestinal Tract, Liver, and Abdomen
- Part VIII Clinical Syndromes – Genitourinary Tract
- Part IX Clinical Syndromes – Musculoskeletal System
- Part X Clinical Syndromes – Neurologic System
- 73 Bacterial Meningitis
- 74 Aseptic Meningitis Syndrome
- 75 Acute Viral Encephalitis
- 76 Intracranial Suppuration
- 77 Spinal Epidural Abscess: Diagnosis and Management
- 78 Myelitis and Peripheral Neuropathy
- 79 Reye's Syndrome
- 80 Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy
- 81 Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunt Infections
- 82 Prion Diseases
- Part XI The Susceptible Host
- Part XII HIV
- Part XIII Nosocomial Infection
- Part XIV Infections Related to Surgery and Trauma
- Part XV Prevention of Infection
- Part XVI Travel and Recreation
- Part XVII Bioterrorism
- Part XVIII Specific Organisms – Bacteria
- Part XIX Specific Organisms – Spirochetes
- Part XX Specific Organisms – Mycoplasma and Chlamydia
- Part XXI Specific Organisms – Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma
- Part XXII Specific Organisms – Fungi
- Part XXIII Specific Organisms – Viruses
- Part XXIV Specific Organisms – Parasites
- Part XXV Antimicrobial Therapy – General Considerations
- Index
78 - Myelitis and Peripheral Neuropathy
from Part X - Clinical Syndromes – Neurologic System
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 March 2013
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Contributors
- Part I Clinical Syndromes – General
- Part II Clinical Syndromes – Head and Neck
- Part III Clinical Syndromes – Eye
- Part IV Clinical Syndromes – Skin and Lymph Nodes
- Part V Clinical Syndromes – Respiratory Tract
- Part VI Clinical Syndromes – Heart and Blood Vessels
- Part VII Clinical Syndromes – Gastrointestinal Tract, Liver, and Abdomen
- Part VIII Clinical Syndromes – Genitourinary Tract
- Part IX Clinical Syndromes – Musculoskeletal System
- Part X Clinical Syndromes – Neurologic System
- 73 Bacterial Meningitis
- 74 Aseptic Meningitis Syndrome
- 75 Acute Viral Encephalitis
- 76 Intracranial Suppuration
- 77 Spinal Epidural Abscess: Diagnosis and Management
- 78 Myelitis and Peripheral Neuropathy
- 79 Reye's Syndrome
- 80 Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy
- 81 Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunt Infections
- 82 Prion Diseases
- Part XI The Susceptible Host
- Part XII HIV
- Part XIII Nosocomial Infection
- Part XIV Infections Related to Surgery and Trauma
- Part XV Prevention of Infection
- Part XVI Travel and Recreation
- Part XVII Bioterrorism
- Part XVIII Specific Organisms – Bacteria
- Part XIX Specific Organisms – Spirochetes
- Part XX Specific Organisms – Mycoplasma and Chlamydia
- Part XXI Specific Organisms – Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma
- Part XXII Specific Organisms – Fungi
- Part XXIII Specific Organisms – Viruses
- Part XXIV Specific Organisms – Parasites
- Part XXV Antimicrobial Therapy – General Considerations
- Index
Summary
Myelitis and peripheral neuropathy complicate many infections. The following discussion covers the major infectious etiologies of myelitis (Table 78.1), peripheral neuropathy (Table 78.2), polymorphic syndromes (Table 78.3), which typically involve the central and peripheral nervous system as well as the spinal cord, and neuropathic syndromes seen in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (Table 78.4). In addition, an algorithm (Figure 78.1) suggests an approach to the clinical and laboratory diagnosis of myelitis and peripheral neuropathy.
MYELITIS
Myelitis is an infectious or noninfectious inflammation of the spinal cord. It may be divided into processes that directly attack cord structures, primary myelitis, and those which begin in adjacent structures but progress to alter cord function, secondary myelitis. Primary myelitis can present as one of three discrete clinical patterns: (1) anterior poliomyelitis, (2) leukomyelitis, or (3) transverse myelitis. Poliomyelitis is inflammation involving the gray matter; leukomyelitis is confined to the white matter. Transverse myelitis, inflammation of an entire cross section of the spinal cord, can affect more than one spinal segment. A number of infectious agents are known to cause or to be associated with myelitis. Myelitis can also occur after an infection or a vaccination as in the acute disseminated encephalomyelitis syndrome seen in children.
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- Clinical Infectious Disease , pp. 547 - 562Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008