Acute transverse myelitis and silent infection with Mycoplasma pneumoniae

Abstract

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a bacterium which frequently causes respiratory symptoms but may present neurological complications. We report two cases of pediatric patients with acute transverse myelitis as a complication of silent infection with M. pneumoniae. To our knowledge, these are two unique cases in which respiratory symptoms did not appear prior to onset of neurological complications. We believe that clinicians may need to reevaluate the existing diagnostic protocol of acute transverse myelitis and routinely consider M. pneumoniae as a potential etiology.