Transverse myelitis is a known complication of radiation treatment for carcinoma of the head and neck. Otolaryngologists treat patients who receive radiotherapy and should be familiar with this complication. During the past ten years there has been little or no mention made of this problem in the ENT literature. In a five year period, 1970 to 1975, 120 patients with head and neck cancer received radiation as part of their treatment in this hospital. A review of the records of these patients showed only two cases of myelitis, an incidence of about 2%. This paper reviews the clinical syndrome; treatment and preventive measures are discussed and a survey of the literature is presented.