Acute meningitis complicated by transverse myelitis: A rare complication

Abstract

Acute meningitis can be complicated by intracranial complications commonly and rarely by spinal cord dysfunction. The causes of spinal cord dysfunction are cord compression, ischemic infarction of the cord, and acute myelitis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the cord is the choice of investigation which not only helps to rule out any compressive lesion but will also confirm the diagnosis of myelitis. The usual findings of myelitis on MRI spine are the hyperintensities in T2-weighted images that predominantly involve the gray matter and usually extend from the cervical to the lumbar cord. Usually, patients are left with some residual deficits including spasticity, weakness, walking difficulties, and bowel–bladder dysfunction. We report a case of acute meningitis which was complicated by acute transverse myelitis.