Definition:
Encephalomyelitis is a general term for inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, describing a number of disorders like acute disseminated encephalomyelitis , encephalomyelitis disseminata, a synonym for multiple sclerosis; equine encephalomyelitis and myalgic encephalomyelitis
Diagnosis:
Thorough physical examination is conducted. A series of tests can be expertly conducted, including a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on the patient's brain as well as the spinal cord to look for possible growth of lesions, or areas of damage that may be indicative of ADEM and possibly rule some other types of disorders including multiple sclerosis (MS). Lumbar tap can alsp help determine if there are any abnormalities in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is alsp commonly conducted.The CSF is actually the fluid that bathes, protects as well ass cushions the spinal cord and the brain from any injury or trauma.
Treatment:
Anti-inflammatory drugs used to suppress inflammation in the brain. Other patients respond to intravenous corticosteroids such as methylprednisolone .If corticosteroids fail to work, plasmapheresis or intravenous immunoglobulin therapy has been shown to produce improvement. Additional treatment is symptomatic and supportive.
Symptoms and Signs:
This disease is often misdiagnosed as severe attach of MS because its symptoms are similar to multiple sclerosis. Initial symptoms include fatigue, fever, headache, nausea and vomiting. There will be behavioral changes such as irritability; there will changes on child's consciousness such as seizure. Visual disturbances, difficulty coordinating muscle movement and weakness of the limb are the other symptoms caused by myelin damage.
Causes:
Encephalomyelitis can be triggered by a variety of conditions that lead to inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Among the common causes of encephalomyelitis are the viruses which usually infect the nervous system. One type of encephalomyelitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, occurs most commonly after an acute viral infection such as measles and is due to be an autoimmune attack upon the nervous system.
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