[A clinical study on acute non-traumatic myelopathies].

Seventy-two cases of acute non-traumatic myelopathy in which walking became impossible within one week after the onset of paralysis were investigated. Fifty-one cases (71%) consisted of mass lesions requiring surgery, such as metastatic spine tumors, hemangioma of spinal cord and hematoma within the spinal canal. Others were 6 cases of anterior spinal artery syndrome and 15 cases of undetermined diagnosis. Pain preceding paralysis or paralysis itself was the initial symptom in 64% of the spinal metastases. Severe pain followed by rapidly progressive paralysis was associated with the vascular lesions. Myelography was generally the most useful diagnostic tool of mass lesions and angiography was also useful in vascular lesions. Walking ability was recovered in 23 of 47 cases after spinal decompression. Postoperative recovery was especially marked when operation was done in the stage of incomplete paralysis. Locating the mass lesion and timely decompression were the most important approaches for handling these conditions.