A 17-year-old girl presented with rapidly progressive quadriparesis and ventilatory failure. The clinical findings indicated a spinal level, but the diagnosis of myelopathy was not supported by her initial spinal imaging and cerebrospinal fluid studies. She had completed treatment for Guillain-Barré syndrome before a follow-up spinal imaging study showed interval expansion and enhancement of the cervical cord.
SchmalstiegWFWeinshenkerBG. Approach to acute or subacute myelopathy. Neurology. 2010;75(19 suppl):S2–S8.
2.
De SezeJStojkovicTBreteauG. Acute myelopathies: clinical, laboratory and outcome profiles in 79 cases. Brain. 2001;124:1509–1521.
3.
ScottiGGereviniS. Diagnosis and differential diagnosis of acute transverse myelopathy. The role of neuroradiological investigations and review of the literature. Neurol Sci. 2001;22:S69–S73.
SymeJAKellyJJ. Absent F-waves early in transverse myelitis. Muscle Nerve. 1994;17:462–465.
12.
ScottTFFrohmanEFDe SezeJGonsethGSWeinshenkerBG. Evidence based guideline: clinical evaluation and treatment of transverse myelitis. Neurology. 2011;77:2128–2134.
HanJJMassagilTLJaffeKM. Fibrocartilaginous embolism—an uncommon cause of spinal cord infarction: a case report and review of the literature. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2004;85:153–157.
22.
HowardRDThorpeJBarkerR. Respiratory insufficiency due to high anterior cervical cord infarction. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1998;64:358–361.
