The aim of the study is to evaluate the etiology of non-traumatic myelopathy based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes in the context of Bangladesh.

Myelopathy is a common neurological disease affecting motor, sensory and autonomic functions resulting from damage or dysfunction of the spinal cord, meningeal or perimeningeal space with high morbidity and mortality. The clinical presentations of nontraumatic myelopathies are diverse ranges from paraplegia to quadriplegia with or without involvement of bowel and bladder. The outcome of the disease depends on the underlying disease process, country, and income status, availability of quality imaging and rehabilitation services.  

The aim is to evaluate the etiology of non-traumatic myelopathy based on MRI to find out the most common causes and its clinical presentation in the context of Bangladesh.

There were 62 males and 38 females with a male to female ratio of 1.63:1. The mean age was found to be (mean ± SD) 45.80 ±15.28 with age ranges from 15 to 74 years. The highestnumberof patients (26.0%) was in the age group 51-60 years, followed by 24% patients in the agegroup 31-40 years. Based on MRI scan cervical spondylotic myelopathy (31%), transverse myelitis (26%), primary spinal tumour (13%), spinal tuberculosis(12%), spinal metastatic disease (12%), and unclassified (6%).

A through clinical history and examination followed by MRI can give us accurate diagnosis in most cases. In this study cervical spondylotic myelopathy, transverse myelitis, and spinal tuberculosis were found as a common cause of non-traumatic myelopathy in the context of Bangladesh.