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The things I am confused about are, there seemed to be no way my doctor
could tell me for certain if this is TM or MS (even though he did give me a
diagnosis). Could anyone explain it to me better? Also, I have a 6 month
old daughter and was hoping to have one more child. Has anyone heard about
pregnancy effects on TM? My Doc says it is uncertain whether women improve
after pregnancy or go on to MS. Any help appreciated. Best wishes, Jaid
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Hi and welcome Jaid,
I believe your doctor may be correct in his way of thinking.The diagnosis
and the pregnancy affect on tm or vice-versa.This is an excerpt from the TMA
newsletter about the difference between TM and MS.
Phil
A definite diagnosis of MS is not given until a patient has had at least
two attacks of demyelination (hence, multiple) at two different sites in the
central nervous system. The spinal cord is frequently affected in multiple
sclerosis and may be the site of involvement of the first attack of MS. This
presents the possibility that patients with acute transverse myelitis could
later go on to have a second episode of demyelination and receive a diagnosis
of MS.
Just what percentage of patients with a first attack of acute transverse
myelitis will go on to develop MS is unclear in the medical literature,
ranging from 15 to 80%; however, the majority of studies show a low risk. We
do know that patients who have abnormal MRI scans of the brain with lesions
like those seen in MS are much more likely to go on to develop MS than those
who have normal brain MRIs at the time of their myelitis (between 60 and 90%
for those with abnormal brain scans, less than 20% for those with normal scans
in one study). It is also suggested in the medical literature that patients
with "complete" transverse myelitis (which means severe leg paralysis and
sensory loss) are less likely to develop MS than those who had a partial or
less severe case. The literature also suggests that patients who have abnormal
antibodies in their spinal fluid, called oligoclonal bands, are at higher risk
to develop MS subsequently. from TMA newsletter Vol 1 issue 2