A young woman with numbness in her feet

JAAPA. 2016 Dec;29(12):38-40. doi: 10.1097/01.JAA.0000508204.02557.9a.

Abstract

This article describes a young, otherwise healthy woman who presented to the ED with numbness in her feet and was discharged. Twenty-four hours later, she returned because of difficulty walking; in 48 hours she could not walk without assistance. Although Guillain-Barré syndrome was suspected initially, the patient's weakness, sensory loss, and autonomic dysfunction eventually were diagnosed as transverse myelitis, a myelopathy often associated with infectious or autoimmune diseases. The article describes the presentation, diagnostic evaluation and criteria, treatment, and prognosis of transverse myelitis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Autoimmune Diseases / complications
  • Autoimmune Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Female
  • Guillain-Barre Syndrome
  • Humans
  • Hypesthesia / etiology*
  • Prognosis
  • Spinal Cord Diseases
  • Young Adult