Disease of the Spinal Cord

Question 1

What are the causes of myelopathy and radiculopathy?

Answer 1

Inflammation 
Infiltration 
Infarction 
Tumour 
Haemorrhage 
Trauma

Question 2

What are the expected motor signs of UMN pathology affecting the spinal cord/nerve roots?

Answer 2

No wasting
Increased tone
Increased reflexes
Pyramidal pattern of weakness

Question 3

What are the expected motor signs of LMN pathology affecting the spinal cord/nerve roots?

Answer 3

Wasting
Decreased tone
Decreased reflexes
Weakness

Question 4

What is ridiculopathy?

Answer 4

Dermatomal pattern of sensory loss

Question 5

What are the causes of spinal cord ischaemia?

Answer 5

Arterial dissection 
Artheromatous disease 
Thromboembolic disease 
Systemic hypotension 
Vasculitis 
Hyperviscosity syndromes

Question 6

What is the clinical presentation of a spinal cord stroke?

Answer 6

Back pain, visceral referred pain
Weakness
Numbness and parathesia
Bowel and bladder incontinence

Question 7

What is the investigations for spinal cord stroke?

Answer 7

CT

Question 8

What is the treatment for spinal cord stroke?

Answer 8

Maintain adequate BP 
Bed rest 
Reverse hypovalaemia/arrhythmia 
OT and physiotherapy 
Manage vascular risk factors

Question 9

What are the causes of transverse myelitis?

Answer 9

Idiopathic 
Viral 
Autoimmune 
Malignancies 
Post vaccination (chicken pox, rabies)

Question 10

What are the consequences of B12 deficiency?

Answer 10

Pernicious anaemia
Myelopathy
Peripheral neuropathy

Question 11

What are the signs of B12 deficient myelopathy?

Answer 11

Parathesia of hands and feet, areflexia
Paraplegia
Sensory ataxia
Painless retention of urine