Cervical myelopathy: Differential diagnosis

Cervical myelopathy results from pathophysiologic changes to the spinal cord, resulting in spinal cord dysfunction. Most commonly it arises from cervical spondylotic changes, but it has varied etiologies. The presentation of the myelopathy depends on the cause of the myelopathy and the location of the pathologic stimulus. For these reasons, the clinical presentation is varied and multifaceted. The signs and symptoms of myelopathy can develop instantly as the result of trauma, over the course a few weeks for certain tumors, or insidiously in the case of cervical spondylosis. As a disease that predominantly affects the elderly population, often the symptoms are attributed to "old age" by both patients and clinicians. Due to the varied clinical presentation of cervical myelopathy, it is important for health care providers to be familiar with the signs and symptoms its differential diagnosis. The failure to diagnose this disease in an efficient manner may result in an irreversible neurologic decline.