TY - JOUR
T1 - Clinical Approach to Myelopathy Diagnosis
AU - Pardo, Carlos A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
PY - 2024/2/1
Y1 - 2024/2/1
N2 - Objective: This article describes an integrative strategy to evaluate patients with suspected myelopathy, provides advice on diagnostic approach, and outlines the framework for the etiologic diagnosis of myelopathies. Latest developments: Advances in diagnostic neuroimaging techniques of the spinal cord and improved understanding of the immune pathogenic mechanisms associated with spinal cord disorders have expanded the knowledge of inflammatory and noninflammatory myelopathies. The discovery of biomarkers of disease, such as anti-aquaporin 4 and anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies involved in myelitis and other immune-related mechanisms, the emergence and identification of infectious disorders that target the spinal cord, and better recognition of myelopathies associated with vascular pathologies have expanded our knowledge about the broad clinical spectrum of myelopathies. Essential points: Myelopathies include a group of inflammatory and noninflammatory disorders of the spinal cord that exhibit a wide variety of motor, sensory, gait, and sensory disturbances and produce major neurologic disability. Both inflammatory and noninflammatory myelopathies comprise a broad spectrum of pathophysiologic mechanisms and etiologic factors that lead to specific clinical features and presentations. Knowledge of the clinical variety of myelopathies and understanding of strategies for the precise diagnosis, identification of etiologic factors, and implementation of therapies can help improve outcomes.
AB - Objective: This article describes an integrative strategy to evaluate patients with suspected myelopathy, provides advice on diagnostic approach, and outlines the framework for the etiologic diagnosis of myelopathies. Latest developments: Advances in diagnostic neuroimaging techniques of the spinal cord and improved understanding of the immune pathogenic mechanisms associated with spinal cord disorders have expanded the knowledge of inflammatory and noninflammatory myelopathies. The discovery of biomarkers of disease, such as anti-aquaporin 4 and anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies involved in myelitis and other immune-related mechanisms, the emergence and identification of infectious disorders that target the spinal cord, and better recognition of myelopathies associated with vascular pathologies have expanded our knowledge about the broad clinical spectrum of myelopathies. Essential points: Myelopathies include a group of inflammatory and noninflammatory disorders of the spinal cord that exhibit a wide variety of motor, sensory, gait, and sensory disturbances and produce major neurologic disability. Both inflammatory and noninflammatory myelopathies comprise a broad spectrum of pathophysiologic mechanisms and etiologic factors that lead to specific clinical features and presentations. Knowledge of the clinical variety of myelopathies and understanding of strategies for the precise diagnosis, identification of etiologic factors, and implementation of therapies can help improve outcomes.
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U2 - 10.1212/CON.0000000000001390
DO - 10.1212/CON.0000000000001390
M3 - Review article
C2 - 38330471
AN - SCOPUS:85184686900
SN - 1080-2371
VL - 30
SP - 14
EP - 52
JO - CONTINUUM Lifelong Learning in Neurology
JF - CONTINUUM Lifelong Learning in Neurology
IS - 1
ER -