Summary:
Background: The relative frequency of non-traumatic
compressive and non-compressive myelopathies and their
etiologies have not been evaluated extensively in Bangladesh.
This study was aimed to identify the etiological diagnosis of
non-traumatic myelopathies.
Methods: One hundred cases of non-traumatic myelopathic
admitted patients were prospectively studied during 2009-
2012 in the neurology ward of Sir Salimullah Medical
College and Mitford Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Patients
underwent a detailed clinical evaluation followed by
laboratory investigations and neuroimaging studies.
Results: Among 100 cases, 46 patients (male 41 and female
5) presented with quadriparesis and 54 patients (male 30
and female 24) presented with paraparesis. Duration of
symptoms before presentation to the hospital was considerably
higher in quadriparesis compared to paraparesis (230.09 ±
31.16 days VS 136.82 ± 21.77 days; p value = 0.016). There
were no significant differences in the number of patients
admitted between compressive and non-compressive groups
(p value – 0.4035). Common etiologies observed in this study
were vertebral disc disease (23%), spinal cord tumor (15%),
Pott’s disease (15%), acute transverse myelitis (13%) and
motor neuron disease (11%).
Conclusion: Vertebral disc disease, spinal cord tumors,
infection (Pott’s disease), post infectious condition (ATM),
and neurodegenerative disease (MND) are mostly responsible
for myelopathies.
Keywords: Non traumatic, Etiology, Paraplegia/
Quadriplegia.
(J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2018; 36: 53-58)