An Uncommon Cause of Acute Transverse Myelitis Following Acinetobacter Baumannii-Associated UTI, Which Responded to Intravenous Pulse Methylprednisolone Alone

Acute transverse myelitis (ATM) is a non-compressive localized inflammation involving one or more levels of the spinal cord due to various etiologies characterized by motor weakness, sensory impairments, and autonomic dysfunction. It can be idiopathic or primary or secondary due to infection, autoimmune disorder, connective tissue disorder, and uncommonly after vaccination which came to the limelight during the ongoing massive vaccine drive against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We report a case of a 21-years-old male who presented with gradually progressive weakness of both lower limbs following urinary tract infection (UTI) with a history of similar illness in the family which improved with high dose methylprednisolone and antibiotic therapy followed by physical rehabilitation. A diagnosis of long segment ATM possibly following UTI was suggested after ruling out other secondary causes and was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spinal cord. Asymmetric symptoms and signs with small lesions involving <two vertebral segments, peripheral lesion, presence of Lhermitte’s sign and relapsing-remitting course distinguish ATM from more debilitating disorder multiple sclerosis (MS) in patients with family history. Infection like UTI can precipitate ATM as well as UTI may develop along with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD) even after recovery from the motor and sensory impairment. Patients with acute transverse myelitis need to be on regular follow up particularly those with subacute presentation and positive family history to rule out relapse and development of multiple sclerosis. Common etiologies like UTI may precipitate uncommon disorders like ATM.