SHRINKING SPINAL-CORD FOLLOWING TRANSVERSE MYELOPATHY IN A PATIENT WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS AND THE PHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODY SYNDROME

A 38-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus and the phosphol ipid antibody syndrome was admitted because of rapidly evolving sympto ms consistent with a transverse myelopathy at the TH9/10 level. Magnet ic resonance imaging (MRI) showed slight diffuse swelling and increase d signal intensity of the spinal cord. She was treated with high dose methylprednisolone plus azathioprine and aspirin. Four months later sh e had achieved almost complete remission with minimal residual sphinct er disturbances. Despite the clinical recovery, repeated MRI at 4 mont hs and 4 years showed diffuse and irreversible atrophy of the entire s pinal cord.