Myelitis tract. Studies have shown respiratory tract infections within 4–39 days prior to the onset of transverse myelitis. Or, tuberculosis, syphilis, and brucellosis are also known to cause myelitis in immune-compromised individuals. Myelitis is a rare manifestation of bacterial infection. Fungi have been reported to cause spinal cord disease either by forming abscesses inside the bone or by granuloma. In general, there are two groups of fungi that may infect the CNS and cause myelitis - primary and secondary pathogens. Primary pathogens include the following: "Cryptococcus neoformans", "Coccidioides immitis", "Blastomyces dermatitides", and "Hystoplasma capsulatum". Secondary pathogens are opportunistic agents that primarily
Inflammation Inflammation Inflammation (from ) is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants, and is a protective response involving immune cells, blood vessels, and molecular mediators. The function of inflammation is to eliminate the initial cause of cell injury, clear out necrotic cells and tissues damaged from the original insult and the inflammatory process, and initiate tissue repair. The five classical signs of inflammation are heat, pain, redness, swelling, and loss of function (Latin "calor", "dolor", "rubor", "tumor", and "functio laesa"). Inflammation is a generic response, and therefore it