Оригинал
The exact cause for transverse myelitis is not known, although the inflammation is thought to be the result of the immune system mistakenly attacking the spinal cord. This is called an autoimmune reaction. When a cause cannot be identified, it is called idiopathic transverse myelitis.
Transverse myelitis often develops at the same time as, or soon after, a viral or bacterial infection. These cases are also believed to be the result of an autoimmune reaction. Rather than the viral or bacterial infection itself directly causing the inflammation, it is thought that the immune system which is stimulated to fight the infection, mistakenly, also attacks the spinal cord. In rare cases, vaccinations may be associated with transverse myelitis, although the underlying cause has not been proven.
It is thought that the immune system is triggered to respond to the vaccination and mistakenly attacks the spinal cord.
For some people, transverse myelitis can be linked to autoimmune diseases such as lupus, HIV, HTLV virus, vitamin B12 deficiency, MS and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Lyme disease, syphilis, and some cancers (which can cause an autoimmune reaction) although this is rare.
In some cases, transverse myelitis may occur because of other disorders, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO). People with transverse myelitis should be evaluated for MS and NMO, as these may require different treatments. There is more information on transverse myelitis and MS and NMO in the 'Other demyelinating conditions' section