Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), or acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis, is a rare autoimmune disease marked by a sudden, widespread attack of inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. Along with inflammation of the brain and spinal cord , ADEM also attacks the nerves of the central nervous system and damages their myelin insulation, which, as a result, destroys the white matter. It is often triggered after the patient had a viral infection or, perhaps exceedingly rarely specific non-routine vaccinations.[1][2][3] We report a case of a 29 yr old male who presented with symptoms of sudden onset paraparesis which was suggestive of transverse myelitis but upon detailed evaluation, he was found to have ADEM which presented as spinal form which is a rare presentation of ADEM. Although ADEM is most commonly reported in children ,rarely it can also occur in adults as in our case.
Key words: ADEM, brain, spinal cord, white matter, Multiple sclerosis
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