What is combined system disease?

What is combined system disease?

Subacute combined degeneration (SCD) is a disorder of the spine, brain, and nerves. It involves weakness, abnormal sensations, mental problems, and vision difficulties.

Can subacute combined degeneration be cured?

Recovery is more likely if subacute combined degeneration is treated early. When treated within a few weeks after symptoms appear, most people recover completely. If treatment is delayed, the progression of symptoms may be slowed or stopped, but full recovery of lost function is less likely.

How long does it take to recover from subacute combined degeneration?

Monitoring is conducted more frequently in patients with subacute combined degeneration and should be continued until a complete response has been elicited. While laboratory markers show rapid improvement, clinical improvement for neurological symptoms takes at least 3 to 12 months.

What causes subacute combined degeneration of spinal cord?

Subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord can be caused by inadequate oral intake of vitamin B12, poor absorption of vitamin B12, or by the use of medications such as metformin, proton pump inhibitors, and nitrous oxide.

What are the symptoms of subacute combined degeneration?

Subacute combined degeneration is progressive degeneration of the spinal cord due to vitamin B12 deficiency.

• Nerve fibers that control movement and sensation are damaged.
• People have general weakness, tingling and numbness in the hands and feet, and stiff limbs and may become irritable, drowsy, and confused.

Can vitamin B12 deficiency cause transverse myelitis?

Myelopathy due to vitamin B12 deficiency presenting as transverse myelitis. Vitamin B12 deficiency may induce neuropathy, myelopathy, dementia and optic neuropathy. The diagnosis is established by vitamin B12, homocysteine and methylmalonic acid measurements.

Can B12 deficiency cause spinal problems?

Vitamin B12 deficiency causes anaemia and subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord, which leads to destruction and can present as paralysis.

Is vitamin B12 good for spinal stenosis?

Vitamin B12 is important for the normal functioning of the neurological system, deficiency of which can result in varied neurological symptoms which may mimic those of spinal stenosis.

Can vitamin B12 deficiency cause neurological problems?

Neurological changes A lack of vitamin B12 can cause neurological problems, which affect your nervous system, such as: vision problems. memory loss. pins and needles (paraesthesia)

What neurological problems can B12 deficiency cause?

Neurological changes

• vision problems.
• memory loss.
• pins and needles (paraesthesia)
• loss of physical co-ordination (ataxia), which can affect your whole body and cause difficulty speaking or walking.
• damage to parts of the nervous system (peripheral neuropathy), particularly in the legs.

Does B12 deficiency show up on MRI?

Vitamin B12 deficiency may present with dorsal spinal column involvement, clinically and on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI finding of symmetrical posterior spinal cord lesions have many differential diagnoses, some of which are not well known.

What happens when your B12 is extremely low?

Constipation, diarrhea, loss of appetite, or gas. Nerve problems like numbness or tingling, muscle weakness, and problems walking. Vision loss. Mental problems like depression, memory loss, or behavioral changes.

What drugs cause transverse myelitis?

Heroin use can cause various neurological and non-neurological complications like rhabdomyolysis, compartment syndrome, endocarditis, non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, acute transverse myelitis, seizures, cerebrovascular accidents, and peripheral nerve lesions [2-4].