Causes

What causes transverse myelitis?

In most cases, transverse myelitis occurs due to an issue that is causing inflammation in the spinal cord. This may include:

• Systemic autoimmune diseases such as lupus and Sjogren’s disease
• Neuromyelitis optica
• Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein associated demyelination (MOGAD)
• Sarcoidosis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Lyme disease
• Syphilis
• Viral, bacterial and fungal infections

In some cases, the cause of transverse myelitis is unknown.