Table 2

Myelopathy mimics

Actual site of lesion…Pathological mechanism…
Central nervous system

  • ▸ Diffuse UMN disorder (genetic, developmental, degenerative, immunological)

  • ▸ Multifocal brain disease (vascular, neoplastic)

  • ▸ Unifocal brain lesion (vascular, neoplastic)

Peripheral nervous system

  • ▸ Lumbar polyradiculopathy

  • ▸ Neuropathy, eg, Guillain-Barré syndrome

  • ▸ Metabolic myopathy

Non-neurological

  • ▸ Metabolic

  • ▸ Endocrine

Functional

  • ▸ Conversion disorder

  • UMN, upper motor neurone.