RE: Transverse Myelitis question?

July 9, 2006

Good morning Jackie:

That was my understanding too. I was told I would need another "episode" or attack to be able to change it to MS. Why don't you check out some of these sites and then you could rejoin the TMIC group and ask there if you want to? I came across some very interesting links in my search to help you find answers this morning. After reading through this let me know what you think.

hugs)))

Sharon

http://www.myelitis.org/tmic/ (group discussion)

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/transversemyelitis/transversemyelitis.htm

Most patients with TM show good to fair recovery. TM is generally a monophasic illness (one-time occurrence); however, a small percentage of patients may suffer a recurrence, especially if there is a predisposing underlying illness.

http://www.myelitis.org/

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/jhtmc/definitions.htm

The s Hopkins Transverse Myelitis Center. This page defines TM, gives the diagnostic criteria and includes these exclusion criteria:

Exclusion Criteria

Â· History of previous radiation to the spine within the past 10 years

Â· Clear arterial distribution clinical deficit consistent with thrombosis of the anterior spinal artery

Â· Abnormal flow voids on the surface of the spinal cord c/w AVM

Â· *Serologic or clinical evidence of connective tissue disease (sarcoidosis, Behcet's disease, Sjogren's syndrome, SLE, mixed connective tissue disorder etc)

Â· *CNS manifestations of syphilis, Lyme disease, HIV, HTLV-1, mycoplasma, other viral infection (e.g. HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV, EBV, CMV, HHV-6, enteroviruses)

Â· *Brain MRI abnormalities suggestive of MS

Â· *History of clinically apparent optic neuritis

* Suggestive of disease associated TM (transverse myelitis in the setting of systemic or multifocal inflammatory disorder)

http://www.whale.to/vaccines/transverse.html

Larner AJ, Farmer SF. Myelopathy following influenza vaccination in inflammatory CNS disorder treated with chronic immunosuppression. Eur J Neurol. 2000 Nov;7(6):731-3. PMID: 11136365 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]We report a patient who developed a transverse myelitis with Brown-Sequard syndrome following a prophylactic influenza vaccination, despite being chronically immunosuppressed for a steroid-responsive optic neuropathy. Although influenza vaccination is recommended in patients receiving chronic immunosuppression, its use may on occasion be associated with neurological complications previously reported in

immunocompetent individuals.

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=19154

Definition of Myelitis, transverse

Myelitis, transverse: A disease of the spinal cord in which there is demyelination (erosion of the myelin sheath that normally protects nerve fibers). The onset of the disorder is typically sudden. Symptoms include back pain followed by ascending weakness in the legs. There is no cure. Many patients are left with permanent disabilities or paralysis. Transverse myelitis occurs alone and in combination with demyelination of other parts of the nervous system. It may be associated with multiple sclerosis.

Transverse myelitis can cause low back pain, spinal cord dysfunction, muscle spasms, a general feeling of discomfort, headache, loss of appetite, and numbness or tingling in the legs. Almost all patients develop leg weakness. The arms are involved in a minority of cases. (This depends upon the level of spinal cord involvement.) Sensation, pain and temperature sensation are typically diminished below the level of spinal cord involvement. Appreciation of vibration and joint position sense may also be decreased. Bladder and bowel sphincter control is disturbed in the majority of cases.

Many patients with transverse myelitis report a tight banding or girdle-like sensation around the trunk and that area may be very sensitive to touch.

Transverse myelitis may be caused by viral infections, spinal cord injuries, immune disorders (including systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome, sarcoidosis and multiple sclerosis) or insufficient blood flow through the blood vessels in the spinal cord. It may occur as a

complication of such disorders as optic neuromyelitis, multiple sclerosis, smallpox, and measles, or as a complication of chickenpox or rabies vaccinations.

The infectious agents associated with transverse myelitis include viruses and bacteria: herpes simplex, herpes zoster, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, enteroviruses (poliomyelitis, sackie virus, echovirus), human T-cell leukemia virus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), influenza, measles, and rabies, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Lyme borreliosis, syphilis, and tuberculosis.

There is no specific treatment for transverse myelitis. The prognosis for complete recovery from transverse myelitis is generally not good. Although recovery usually begins between 2 and 12 weeks after onset and may continue for up to 2 years, most individuals are left with considerable disability. Some individuals may have minor or no deficits, while others may have significant motor, sensory, and sphincter (bowel) deficits or no recovery at all.

Sharon (MSersLife creator/owner)

Keep true to the dreams of thy youth. (Albert Einstein)

Transverse Myelitis question?

Hi, everyone! Sorry Iâ€™ve been MIA lately. What a week Iâ€™ve had. Iâ€™ll update you in another e-mail as Iâ€™m headed off to bed now. But before I do I have a question that those of you who first had a dx of TM can help me with?

I thought when you had TM it wasnâ€™t progressive, and if your symptoms did progress from the first attack, then it evolved so to speak into MS? Was that what your understanding about it was too?

I am questioning my dx of MS, and wonder if I do indeed have TM instead? I found some earlier papers from drâ€™s, I saw and the one Neuro up at Oregon Health Science [1998] stated that I had TM. That was when I started my research on TM, but then I concluded that it was really MS, because I have been getting progressively worse over the years.

What do you think? TM vs. MS, what is the deciding difference?

Thanks, and ttysoonâ€¦â€¦..Hugs, Jackie

p/s HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all the July birthdays! [including mine, the 28th!] J

July 9, 2006

Hi Jackie! I've been wondering where you were. Good to see you. ) Challis Jackie Hanan wrote: Hi, everyone! Sorry I’ve been MIA lately. What a week I’ve had. I’ll update you in another e-mail as I’m headed off to bed now. But before I do I have a question that those of you who first had a dx of TM can help me with? I thought when you had TM it wasn’t progressive, and if your symptoms did progress from the first attack, then it evolved so to speak into MS? Was that what your understanding about it was too? I am questioning my dx of MS, and wonder if I do indeed have TM instead? I found some earlier papers from dr’s, I saw and the one Neuro up at Oregon Health Science

[1998] stated that I had TM. That was when I started my research on TM, but then I concluded that it was really MS, because I have been getting progressively worse over the years. What do you think? TM vs. MS, what is the deciding difference? Thanks, and ttysoon……..Hugs, Jackie p/s HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all the July birthdays! [including mine, the 28th!] J

How low will we go? Check out Yahoo! Messenger’s low PC-to-Phone call rates.

July 10, 2006

Hey, Sharon. I looked these

up, but I didn’t read about whether TM was a progressive illness? It stated

it as Acute, and from that one attack it can leave disabilities. But, not that

it’s progressive. I may go back over to the Transverse Myelitis forum and

ask them like you suggested.

Thanks so much for doing

this. J

Hugs, Jackie

From: MSersLife [mailto:MSersLife ] On Behalf Of Sharon

Marsden

Sent: Sunday, July 09, 2006 6:06 AM

To: MSersLife

Subject: Re:

Transverse Myelitis question?

Good morning Jackie:

That was my understanding too. I was told I would

need another " episode " or attack to be able to change it to MS.

Why don't you check out some of these sites and then you could rejoin the TMIC

group and ask there if you want to? I came across some very

interesting links in my search to help you find answers this morning.

After reading through this let me know what you think.

hugs)))

Sharon

http://www.myelitis.org/tmic/

(group discussion)

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/transversemyelitis/transversemyelitis.htm

Most

patients with TM show good to fair recovery. TM is generally a monophasic

illness (one-time occurrence); however, a small percentage of patients may

suffer a recurrence, especially if there is a predisposing underlying illness.

http://www.myelitis.org/

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/jhtmc/definitions.htm

The s Hopkins

Transverse Myelitis

Center. This page

defines TM, gives the diagnostic criteria and includes these exclusion

criteria:

Exclusion Criteria

·

History

of previous radiation to the spine within the past 10 years

·

Clear

arterial distribution clinical deficit consistent with thrombosis of the

anterior spinal artery

·

Abnormal

flow voids on the surface of the spinal cord c/w AVM

·

*Serologic or

clinical evidence of connective tissue disease (sarcoidosis, Behcet's

disease, Sjogren's syndrome, SLE, mixed connective tissue disorder etc)

·

*CNS

manifestations of syphilis, Lyme disease, HIV, HTLV-1, mycoplasma, other

viral infection (e.g. HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV, EBV, CMV, HHV-6, enteroviruses)

·

*Brain MRI

abnormalities suggestive of MS

·

*History of

clinically apparent optic neuritis

* Suggestive of disease associated TM

(transverse myelitis in the setting of systemic or multifocal inflammatory

disorder)

http://www.whale.to/vaccines/transverse.html

Larner

AJ, Farmer SF. Myelopathy following influenza vaccination in inflammatory

CNS disorder treated with chronic immunosuppression. Eur J Neurol. 2000

Nov;7(6):731-3. PMID: 11136365 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

We report a patient who developed a

transverse myelitis with Brown-Sequard syndrome following a prophylactic

influenza vaccination, despite being chronically immunosuppressed for a

steroid-responsive optic neuropathy. Although influenza vaccination is

recommended in patients receiving chronic immunosuppression, its use may on

occasion be associated with neurological complications previously reported in

immunocompetent individuals.

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=19154

Definition of Myelitis, transverse

Myelitis, transverse: A disease of the spinal cord

in which there is demyelination

(erosion of the myelin sheath that normally protects nerve fibers). The onset

of the disorder is typically sudden. Symptoms include back pain followed by

ascending weakness in the legs. There is no cure. Many patients are left with

permanent disabilities or paralysis.

Transverse myelitis occurs alone and in combination with demyelination of other

parts of the nervous

system. It may be associated with multiple

sclerosis.

Transverse myelitis can cause low back pain,

spinal cord dysfunction,

muscle spasms, a general feeling of discomfort, headache, loss of appetite, and

numbness or tingling in the legs. Almost all patients develop leg weakness. The

arms are involved in a minority of cases. (This depends upon the level of

spinal cord involvement.) Sensation, pain and temperature sensation are

typically diminished below the level of spinal cord involvement. Appreciation

of vibration and joint

position sense may also be decreased. Bladder and bowel sphincter control is

disturbed in the majority of cases. Many patients with transverse myelitis

report a tight banding or girdle-like sensation around the trunk and that area

may be very sensitive to touch.

Transverse myelitis may be caused by viral

infections, spinal cord injuries, immune

disorders (including systemic

lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome,

sarcoidosis

and multiple

sclerosis) or insufficient blood flow through the blood vessels in the

spinal cord. It may occur as a complication of such disorders as optic

neuromyelitis, multiple

sclerosis, smallpox,

and measles,

or as a complication of chickenpox

or rabies

vaccinations.

The infectious agents associated with transverse

myelitis include viruses

and bacteria:

herpes

simplex, herpes

zoster, cytomegalovirus,

Epstein-Barr virus,

enteroviruses (poliomyelitis,

sackie

virus, echovirus),

human T-cell leukemia

virus, human immunodeficiency

virus (HIV),

influenza,

measles,

and rabies,

Mycoplasma

pneumoniae, Lyme borreliosis, syphilis,

and tuberculosis.

There is no specific treatment for transverse

myelitis. The prognosis

for complete recovery from transverse myelitis is generally not good. Although

recovery usually begins between 2 and 12 weeks after onset and may continue for

up to 2 years, most individuals are left with considerable disability. Some

individuals may have minor or

no deficits, while others may have significant motor, sensory,

and sphincter (bowel) deficits or no recovery at all.

Sharon (MSersLife creator/owner)

Keep true

to the dreams of thy youth. (Albert Einstein)

Transverse Myelitis question?

Hi, everyone! Sorry I’ve been MIA

lately. What a week I’ve had. I’ll update you in another e-mail as

I’m headed off to bed now. But before I do I have a question that those

of you who first had a dx of TM can help me with?

I thought when you had TM it wasn’t

progressive, and if your symptoms did progress from the first attack, then it

evolved so to speak into MS? Was that what your understanding about it was too?

I am questioning my dx of MS, and wonder

if I do indeed have TM instead? I found some earlier papers from dr’s, I

saw and the one Neuro up at Oregon

Health Science [1998] stated that I had TM. That was when I started my research

on TM, but then I concluded that it was really MS, because I have been getting

progressively worse over the years.

What do you think? TM vs. MS, what is the

deciding difference?

Thanks, and ttysoon……..Hugs, Jackie

p/s HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all the July

birthdays! [including mine, the 28th!] J

July 10, 2006

Thanks Challis! I sent

and update to the group, see it to read how my week went! Good but exhausting! Its

hard watching people work….. lol… ;-)

Hugs, Jackie

From: MSersLife [mailto:MSersLife ] On Behalf Of Smyelin groovy

Sent: Sunday, July 09, 2006 6:56 AM

To: MSersLife

Subject: Re:

Transverse Myelitis question?

Hi Jackie! I've been

wondering where you were. Good to see you. )

Challis

July 10, 2006

Hi Jackie-

Glad you're back. I read your update. Sounds exhausting an all get out here. As you know, I've been away for a bit. I've been able to keep up a little today. Hopefully, this won't disappear quickly. I really enjoy being here with all of you. Blessed be...