Extensive longitudinal acute transverse myelitis complicated by pulseless ventricular tachycardia and recent shingles vaccination.
Publication/Presentation Date
4-23-2023
Abstract
This case describes a 50-year-old male with a history of psoriatic arthritis who presented to the emergency department with a chief complaint of ascending bilateral lower extremity paresthesia one week following a shingles vaccine. MRI of the patient's spine was significant for longitudinally extensive T2 hyperintensity involving the lower cervical spine with extension into the upper thoracic spine suggestive of acute transverse myelitis (ATM). The patient's hospital course was complicated by a self-limiting episode of pulseless ventricular tachycardia accompanied by a brief loss of consciousness. Initial treatment included IV solumedrol, however due to lack of clinical improvement after a 5-day steroid treatment, plasmapheresis was initiated. The patient's condition improved with plasmapheresis and he was subsequently discharged to a rehab facility with a diagnosis of ATM of unclear etiology. Extensive serology, cardiac and CSF studies failed to determine the cause of this patient's myelitis or pulseless ventricular tachycardia. The following case report explores the potential factors that may have contributed to this patient's symptoms.
ISSN
1532-8171
Published In/Presented At
Meleis, M. M., Hahn, S. B., Carraro, M. N., & Deutsch, A. B. (2023). Extensive longitudinal acute transverse myelitis complicated by pulseless ventricular tachycardia and recent shingles vaccination. The American journal of emergency medicine, S0735-6757(23)00221-8. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2023.04.033
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
PubMedID
37120396
Department(s)
Department of Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine Residents, Fellows and Residents, USF-LVHN SELECT Program, USF-LVHN SELECT Program Students
Document Type
Article