The Aword

TOTAL NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS: 317

(percentage figures rounded to nearest integer; those less than 1% excluded)

AGE GROUPS:

• 30-40:  16 =  5%
• 40-50:  55 = 17%
• 50-60: 124 = 39%
• 60-70:   84 = 27%
• 70-80:   36 = 11%
• 80-90 :    2

GENDER:

• MALE:      94 = 30%
• FEMALE: 223 = 70%

TIME SINCE DIAGNOSIS (YEARS)

 (17 = 5% unspecified)

• 1 -  5:  87 = 27%
• 5 -10:  80 = 25%
• MORE THAN 10: 133=42%

LEVEL OF LESION (S):

• LUMBAR: 277 = 87%

LUMBAR LESION ONLY:

• 186 = 59%

THORACIC:

• 75 = 24%

CERVICAL:

• 62 = 20%

WIDESPREAD:

• 131 = 41%

CRANIAL:

• 43 = 14%

RISK FACTORS:

• TRAUMA:                                                   25=8%
• STENOSIS:                                                  59 = 19%
• SPINAL SURGERY:                                       236 = 74%
• OIL-BASED MYELOGRAM:                            183 = 58%
• WATER-BASED MYELOGRAM:                        95 = 30%
• UNSPECIFIED MYELOGRAM:                           63 = 20%
• SPINAL/EPIDURAL ANAESTHETIC:                   73 = 24%
• EPIDURAL STEROID INJECTION:                     193 = 61%
• MENINGITIS(including chemical):                    23 =  7%
• CHYMOPAPAIN:                                                 4
• LUMBAR PUNCTURE:                                        7 =  2%
• SUBARACHNOID HAEMORRHAGE:                       2
• SPINAL TUMOUR:                                               3
• EPENDYMOBLASTOMA:                                       1
• DURAL TEAR/PUNCTURE/CSF LEAK:                    8 =  2%

FURTHER DATA ABOUT MYELOGRAMS:

TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES WHO HAD A MYELOGRAM: 267=85%

OF ALL RESPONDENTS SINGLE MYELOGRAM: 146

MULTIPLE MYELOGRAMS: 121

CASES WITH OIL-BASED ONLY: 117 (44% OF TOTAL NUMBER OF MYELOGRAMS)

CASES WITH WATER-BASED ONLY: 44 (16% OF TOTAL)

CASES WITH BOTH: 49 (18% OF TOTAL)

UNSPECIFIED: 57(21% OF TOTAL)

CHEMICALLY INDUCED ARACHNOIDITIS (NO OTHER RISK FACTORS): 40 = 13%

MISCELLANEOUS ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS:

• SYRINGOMYELIA: 6 = 2%
• ARACHNOID CYST: 1
• ARNOLD CHIARI MALFORMATION 1: 1
• PARS DEFECT:1
• CONGENITAL BRAIN AND SPINAL CORD DEFECTS:1
• SPINA BIFIDA OCCULTA: 12=4%
• TETHERED CORD: 3 + DIASTIGMATIC MYELIA:1
• SPINAL ABSCESS: 2
• POST-OPERATIVE INFECTION(SPINAL): 2
• TARLOV CYSTS: 2
• CONGENITAL KYPHOSCOLIOSIS: 1 POSSIBLE ASSOCIATED FACTORS:
• RHIZOLYSIS: 2
• RACZ PROCEDURE(HYALURONIDASE): 1

PREVIOUS SERIOUS VIRAL INFECTION

• (EBV*,HERPES ZOSTER**, HEPATITIS ETC.): 41=13%
• MUMPS ENCEPHALITIS: 1
• TUBERCULOSIS: 4
• POLIOMYELITIS 2 + 1?

*EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS=GLANDULAR FEVER/INFECTIOUS MONONUCLEOSIS

**CHICKEN POX/SHINGLES

OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASE:

• LYME DISEASE: 1
• BRUCELLOSIS: 2
• RHEUMATIC FEVER: 2
• TYPHOID : 1 Results:

SYMPTOMS/SIGNS TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 317

(223 Female 94 Male)

Age range : 30-82

Mean age group:50-60

• Pain: 100% (see accompanying notes)
• Stiffness : 79%
• Muscle cramps/twitches/spasms 81%
• Weakness 82%
• Balance difficulties 70%
• Numbness/tingling 86%
• Bladder/bowel/sexual dysfunction 68%
• Difficulty in thinking clearly/decision making/memory 63%
• Depression/anxiety 62%
• Sleep disturbance 84%
• Increased sweating 63%
• Heat intolerance 58%
• Intermittent low grade fevers 28%
• Flu-like feeling and malaise 42%
• Raised ESR /white cell count 14%
• Enlarged lymph nodes 10%
• Joint pains 72%
• Skin rashes 32%
• Frequent infections 20 %
• Sinusitis 32%
• Slow healing/tendency to scar easily 29%
• Limb/generalised swelling 38%
• Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy: 3
• Trouble swallowing 27%
• Angina type chest pain (but no heart disease found) 31%
• Weight gain 50%
• Reduced mobility (i.e. house/chair/bed bound?) 68%
• Allergies (new, e.g. multiple drug allergies)
• 25% Dizziness/vertigo 44%
• Dry eyes/mouth 58%
• Bruising 39%
• Fatigue 76%
• Dental problems (tooth/gum)
• 28% Low potassium 10%
• Abnormal blood tests 13%
• Abnormal kidney function
• 7% Abnormal liver enzymes
• 7% chemical hepatitis 1
• Osteoporosis 14%
• Shortness of breath 32%
• Lung problems 10% Gastrointestinal problems: general 41%
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome 8%,
• Visual problems 45%
• (Women) menstrual irregularities (if pre-menopausal)/early menopause/painful periods 14%

Diagnosis of Autoimmune disorder:

• Ankylosing Spondylitis 4;
• Autoimune hearing loss 1;
• Autoimmune pancreatitis 2;
• Coeliac disease: 1;
• Crohn's disease: 2;
• Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus 12;
• Endometriosis 4;
• Haemolytic Anaemia 1;
• Lupus 5 (incl. 1 discoid) + 4 ?;
• Multiple Sclerosis 11 + 3?;
• Polymyalgia Rheumatica 4;
• Psoriasis 1;
• Psoriatic arthritis 1;
• Raynaud's disease 26;
• Rheumatoid Arthritis 23;
• Sarcoidosis : 1; Sjogren's disease 3+ 2?
• Thyroiditis/Hypothyroidism 20;
• Ulcerative Colitis 1;
• Uveitis/Iritis 1;
• Vitiligo 1;
• Pernicious Anaemia: 1;
• Miscellaneous Autoimmune 9;
• Fibromyalgia: 19; ?FMS 2;
• Total (incl.FMS) = 154 = 48%;
• Number of cases*= 87 + 11 FMS = 98 = 30% prevalence.

(*i.e. with one or more diagnosed autoimmune conditions)

Diagnosis of:

• Multiple Chemical Sensitivity 2;
• Myalgic Encephalopathy 1+1?;
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 3;
• Myofascial Syndrome 1;
• Myalgia 1

Other neurological diagnoses:

• Epilepsy: 3;
• Parkinson's 1;
• Peripheral neuropathy 1;
• Postpolio syndrome: 1

Miscellaneous conditions:

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: 1;
• Paget's disease: 1;
• Erythema nodosum 1;
• Renal calculi: 7;
• general renal problems (e.g hydronephrosis,haematuria):13;
• Hiatus hernia/reflux oesophagitis: 8
• Chronic leukaemia 1;
• Thyroid cysts: 2 (see below)

Tumours:

• Breast: 5;
• Prostate 2;
• bladder 1;
• cervical 1;
• thyroid 2;
• ovarian 1;
• pituitary 1;
• colorectal 1;
• renal 1(with lung metastases);
• "bowel" 1;
• malignant melanoma 1;
• Melanoma: 1;
• Lymphoma:1