Infectious myelitis, not elsewhere classified

**Definition:** A disease of the spinal cord, caused by an infection.

**Long definition:** An inflammatory disorder of the spinal cord due to infection by a viral, bacterial, mycobacterial, fungal or parasitic organism. Poliomyelitis refers to infection confined to the gray matter, and leukomyelitis refers to an inflammatory process affecting the white matter. Meningomyelitis refers to inflammation of the meninges and the spinal cord. The symptoms and signs may be acute, subacute, or chronic in onset, and include paraparesis or paraplegia, sensory loss appropriate with the level of the spinal cord affected, loss of sphincter control, and lower motor neurone signs. Diagnosis may be confirmed by neuroimaging, spinal fluid analysis or tissue obtained by biopsy.