Spontaneous CSF Leak, Transverse Myelitis, and Cerebral Small Vessel

Has a spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leak ever been associated with causing transverse myelitis?  What about cerebral small vessel causing a csf leak? Any one?

I am a 29 yr old female and in good health.  I was unofficially diagnosed May 2005 with Transverse Myelitis (mine inflammation of a nerve due to mono), pain in my right leg, skin sensetivity and muscle paralysis of my right leg and occassional right arm pain including loss of grip.  It magically resolved itself in December 2007.  This month, July 2007, after a sinus infection, some of my symptoms from TM came back.  However, this time was different.  I started with headache, dizziness, pressure on my ears and right leg pain with paralysis.  In the past, my symptoms never went away, but now I can lay down and all my symptoms resolve themselves until I sit or stand again.  The symptoms have now have let up a bit over the past weeks.  According to two neurologist I have no signs of a CSF leak and my current MRIs are beautiful.  I read one of my 30 MRIs for  over the past three years and one tech notes a possibility of small vessel.  During my 2 1/2 year ordeal with TM, I went to a number of drs. including the Mayo Clinic to find nothing.  I was told I could end up with an autoimmune problem maybe hasimotos thyroid disease when I get older or some other autoimmune problem like MS or lupus but I do not have either or any markers for either as of these days.  

I am currently wondering about the underlying cause of my nerve problems...like what if I did not have TM, it was a CSF leak or small vessel disease causing hypotension and low CSF pressure because I have no lession on my spine or on my brain, so again what's causing the nerve inflammation?

I look forward to your responses.  

Liz

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

How are you?
Transverse myelitis can be caused by vascular causes like thrombosis of spinal arteries, spinal arterio-venous malformations and vasculitis.
What exactly do you mean by a small blood vessel in the brain MRI?
There are cases of TM where no cause can be identified. These are known as idiopathic cases.
CSF leak cannot cause transverse myelitis and can be easily detected. Since it has not been found in your case, I think we can rule that out.
Hope this helps!