What are the long-term consequences?
The long-term consequences of myelitis vary greatly from individual to individual – they depend on the underlying disease and the site of inflammation. If the inflammation is infectious, it can heal without consequences if therapy is started early enough. If this is not the case, various symptoms of failure can result.
These can manifest themselves in the form of sensory or motor dysfunctions. In most cases, the strength is reduced and the muscles tire rather quickly. This can result in restrictions in everyday life, so that one is dependent on help.
Long-term consequences can also arise in the context of an autoimmune disease. The probability of failure symptoms is even increased with these diseases, because there is no cure yet. The affected patients are usually treated symptomatically and immunosuppressive drugs are prescribed so that the body’s own immune cells do not further damage other cells of the body.
The symptoms of failure depend largely on the location of the inflammation. An inflammation that occurs in the area of the cervical spine leads to more pronounced symptoms of failure than an inflammation in the area of the lumbar spine. Miss sensations can occur.
This means that touches cannot be perceived or a tingling sensation develops. The sensation of temperature or pain can also be disturbed. Furthermore, motor disorders can occur. The muscle strength is reduced and the affected muscle area tires more quickly. The reflexes can also be altered – as a rule, they are increased.
Prophylaxis
There is no prophylaxis that can be taken against the occurrence of a spinal cord inflammation. Avoiding certain risk areas or behaviors is generally recommended. This can prevent an infection, which under certain circumstances would cause a spinal cord inflammation. Spinal cord inflammation caused by a previous vaccination is very rare nowadays and should never be used as a reason for not having a vaccination.
Inflammation of the spinal cord skin
Inflammation of the spinal cord can also occur secondarily as part of a preceding inflammation of the spinal cord skin (meningitis spinalis), in that the inflammatory process spreads from the spinal cord skin to the spinal cord itself (meningomyelitis). The inflammation of the spinal cord skin is caused either by viruses (most common), bacteria (most dangerous) or other microorganisms such as parasites or fungi, as well as by non-infectious events (e.g. sarcoidosis, lupus erythematosus, side effects of drugs (NSAIDs, antibiotics), metastasis of a primary carcinoma). The symptoms of meningitis, which may precede or parallel to those of myelitis, are primarily high fever, (head)pain, stiffness of the neck and possibly a loss of consciousness. In the course of the inflammatory process, which spreads to the spinal cord tissue itself, the typical symptoms of myelitis are then added.
